• The Miz, R-Truth, and Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and Rey Mysterio

The show opened up with an unadvertised trios match in what appeared to be a combination of Raw’s predominant upper midcard feuds. Not surprised to see they added this match considering that the pre-announced card lacked a definitive opener. Kofi and Miz lock up at the start, with Kofi applying a headlock before they start to run the ropes, only for Kofi to hit a monkey flip. Morrison gets a tag, hits a double shoulder block with Kofi, and hits a corkscrew leg drop. Truth gets a tag, but Morrison is all over him with punches and hits a kick to the gut followed by the springboard flash kick. Truth comes back with a slap and shoves Morrison off the top turnbuckle to the floor before slamming his head on the apron. Truth applies a snapmare and a chin lock back in the ring before Miz comes in, hits a running boot to the head, and applies a chin lock of his own. Morrison hits a kick to the head before Kofi gets a tag. Kofi comes in with a diving clothesline off the top, but Miz counters the SOS. Kofi hits a springing cross body out of the corner and the Boom Drop before both men go for their respective finishers, only to have them countered. Kofi hits the SOS, but Del Rio breaks up the pin. Kofi dropkicks Del Rio, but Miz hits a cutter-facebuster type move for 2. Truth then hits a reverse falcon arrow for a near fall. Del Rio kicks Kofi in the gut and slams him down. Kofi kicks off Del Rio, but Miz hits him with a suplex. Kofi rolls Miz up for 2 before fighting out of a chin lock and hitting an arm drag followed by a sunset flip. Rey and Truth get tags, with Rey hitting a seated senton off the top, a springboard cross body, and a kick to the head before setting both Truth and Miz up for the 619. Morrison does a twisting dive onto Del Rio on the outside and Rey hits the 619 to Truth, but Miz rolls to the floor. Kofi does a springboard plancha to Miz on the floor, and Rey finishes Truth off with a top rope splash for the win. Good, fun opener with a hot crowd and some nice spots. Great way to start things off. Match Time: 9:37     Star Rating: ***

• Mark Henry vs. Sheamus

Much like Henry’s match with Big Show last month, this was surprisingly not totally awful. They lock up at the start before Henry hits a shoulder block. Sheamus unloads on Henry with a ton of punches and clubbing blows to the back, but Henry hits some elbows and tosses Sheamus to the floor. Henry tosses him back inside and hits a shoulder block and a running splash for 2. Henry then hits a pretty impressive coronation for a 1 count. Sheamus hits some shots, but Henry hits a backbreaker and gets Sheamus in the Sammartino backbreaker rack. Sheamus escapes but Henry whips him into the corner and steps over him. Henry misses a splash and Sheamus comes back with some double sledges and knee strikes to the head. Sheamus then hits some shots to the chest in the ropes and a knee to the head before the two collide in the middle of the ring. Sheamus kicks Henry and hits a shoulder block off the top for 2, but misses the Brogue kick. Henry hits a clothesline, but Sheamus escapes the World’s Strongest Slam and hits a Brogue kick that sends Henry to the floor. Henry hits some shots on the outside, rams Sheamus back-first into the post, and then slams him through the barricade into the crowd. Henry goes back into the ring, Sheamus can’t beat the count, and Henry wins via count out. Good booking to protect both guys and the barricade spot was pretty nice, but the match was fairly dull despite the solid storytelling. Not too terrible but not very good either. Match Time: 9:22     Star Rating: *3/4

Cee Lo Green then came out for his advertised performance. He performed the PPV’s theme song “Bright Lights, Bigger City” as well as a modified version of “F*** You”. Interesting to see him perform that second song on a PG show. The audio wasn’t coming in very clear for the first song but it turned out alright. Performance didn’t seem to be completely necessary but it did make the show feel like a big deal.

• Divas Championship match: Kelly Kelly(c) vs. Beth Phoenix

Kelly is all over Beth at the start with punches and kicks, but Beth just tosses her off during a head scissors attempt. Kelly knocks Beth to the floor and hits a diving clothesline off the second rope to the floor. Back in the ring, Beth counters a backslide and hits a clothesline followed by a military press drop onto the ropes for 2. Beth puts her boot to Kelly in the corner and does a Samoan wrecking ball. She rubs Kelly’s face in her ass before applying a chin lock. Kelly escapes, but Beth catches her in a Sammartino backbreaker rack. Kelly fights out with elbows and hits a neckbreaker and some forearms, but Beth powerslams her into the corner and hangs her up in the tree of woe. Kelly escpaes and rolls up Beth for 2, but Beth comes back with a sidewalk slam. Beth hangs Kelly up in the ropes and kicks her in the head, but Kelly repeatedly slams Beth’s face into the mat. Beth blocks a handspring elbow attempt and goes for the Glam Slam, but Kelly counters with a victory roll for the win. This was much, much better than the usual Diva fare but suffered from a lack of crowd heat. It told a solid story and was a decent little match, but the wrong girl went over for sure. Match Time: 6:33     Star Rating: **

• Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan

This was a very nice showcase for both guys. They got a little more time than usual and delivered a solid back and forth match. Barrett starts with some shots to the back, a headlock, and a shoulder block, but Bryan comes back with a kitchen sink, a dropkick, and applies a hammerlock. Bryan does a leap frog and a drop down followed by a dropkick, but Barrett responds with some shots in the corner. Bryan hits a dragon screw and an IED before trying for a surfboard, but he can’t get Barrett up so he just stomps his legs. Bryan hits a running kick to the chest and backflips out of the corner, but Barrett hits a black hole slam and a boot to the head followed by a rope-assisted backbreaker. Barrett applies a chin lock, but Bryan fights out and hits some elbows, a running elbow strike, and some uppercuts. Barrett responds with a flying forearm strike and chokes Bryan against the ropes before laying in some knee strikes and kicking Bryan to the floor. Barrett applies a rear chin lock back in the ring, but Bryan fights out, hits some kicks, and crotches Barrett on the ropes. They fight on the apron and Barrett goes for the Wasteland, but Bryan fights out and kicks Barrett to the floor, where Bryan hits a running knee strike off the apron. Bryan hits a missile dropkick back in the ring for 2, but Barrett avoids Bryan in the corner and hits a big boot. Bryan escapes the Wasteland again and cinches in a guillotine, which he transitions into the LeBell Lock, but Barrett makes it to the ropes. They go up top, and Barrett crotches Bryan on the top rope before hitting a vicious clothesline off the ropes into the ring. Barrett then hits the Wasteland for the win. Bryan really should have gone over here but they still have time to build him up before Wrestlemania next year so Barrett winning wasn’t a terrible move. Definitely the highlight of the undercard and a really solid, competitive match with some good near falls. Match Time: 11:47     Star Rating: ***1/4

• No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Christian(c) vs. Randy Orton

Before the match, Christian introduces Edge, who he says will be watching his back in the match. Edge talks about everything that’s happened since Christian won the title, then calls him a bitch and leaves. Way to make Christian look credible before this big match. That aside, this match was awesome. The best match these guys have had andone of the best matches of both guys’ careers. Orton circles Christian at the start before they trade punches, with Orton beating on Christian in the corner before Christian comes back with some shots himself. Orton hits a clothesline but Christian snaps his neck over the ropes and hits a diving elbow strike off the top. Orton hits a back body drop, some stomps, and a knee drop, but Christian comes back and stands on Orton’s back on the ropes. Orton tries for the spike DDT, but Christian counters and sends Orton to the floor. Orton sends Christian into the barricade and takes apart the announce table, but Christian escapes an RKO attempt on the table, and then takes his title and tries to escape through the crowd. Orton catches up to him and lays in the punches in the stands. Eventually Christian is thrown over the barricade back to ringside, and Orton hits some mounted punches in the ring. Christian sends Orton shoulder first into the ring post before getting a kendo stick and repeatedly striking Orton with it. Christian presses the tip of the stick against Orton’s throat and covers for a near fall.

Christian misses a shot with the kendo stick but hits a shoulder block for 2. Orton avoids a charging Christian in the corner and rolls him up for 2. Christian hits a spinebuster for a near fall and leaps off the 2^nd rope with the kendo stick, but Orton dropkicks him in mid air. Orton hits some clotheslines and a snap powerslam before grabbing the kendo stick. Christian hits a kick, but Orton counters a missile dropkick attempt with a jackknife cover. Orton hits a Thesz press, Christian counters the spike DDT, and Orton counters the Killswitch before hitting his signature backbreaker. Christian avoids the punt and tries to crotch Orton against the post, but Orton uses his legs to pull Christian into the post. Orton then takes out two tables and slides one into the ring. Christian rams Orton into the apron and sets up the other table on the floor. Orton slams Christian’s head on the table before they head up top, where Orton hits a superplex onto the table laying flat in the ring. Ouch. Orton sets up that table in the corner and tries to send Christian into it, but Christian hits a reverse DDT. Christian misses a spear, but counters the RKO and sends Orton to the floor. Orton sends Christian into the steel steps and takes them apart, setting up the lower half against the apron. Christian slams Orton’s head on the steps before taking apart the Spanish announce table and hitting Orton with a monitor. Christian tries for an RKO on the Spanish table, but Orton counters and hits an RKO himself through the table.

Orton tries another RKO in the ring, but Christian counters and hits the Killswitch for 2. Christian then gets two steel chairs and sets Orton up for a conchairto, but Orton avoids it and hits Christian in the gut and the back with the chair. With Christian on the apron, Orton hits him with the chair again, causing Christian to fall off the apron through the table on the floor. Orton tosses some trash cans and another kendo stick into the ring. Orton misses a stomp on the steps, but is able to powerslam Christian through the table in the corner. Orton hits Christian in the back with a kendo stick and hits a spike DDT onto a trash can. Christian hits a kendo stick shot and springboards out of the corner, but Orton catches him with an RKO in mid air onto the steel steps for the win. Crazy, brutal match that would be a definitive feud ender. Christian took a ridiculous amount of punishment, maybe a bit too much, but this match was all about Orton’s revenge. Given the way this match had been built up, Christian really needed the win to avoid looking like a chump, and I still don’t like how Orton beat him in all their matches except for one where he got disqualified, but this match was excellent. The storytelling and psychology were extremely good and both men played their roles to perfection. Easily one of the best WWE matches of the year. Match Time: 23:42     Star Rating: ****1/2

• Undisputed WWE Championship match with Triple H as Special Guest Referee: CM Punk(c) vs. John Cena(c)

The main event of the evening was the highly anticipated rematch between CM Punk and John Cena after their classic at Money in the Bank last month. This wasn’t quite as good as that match, but was still an excellent follow-up. After some circling, they once again start off with a lot of chain wrestling, with both men applying headlocks and doing some mat work before Punk applies a chin lock with a body scissors. Cena fights out and hits a gutwrench suplex followed by a fisherman suplex before applying a rear chin lock. Punk is up, but Cena hits a scoop slam and an elbow drop before going back to the chin lock. Punk fights out with an arm drag and a big boot followed by some knees to the gut and a kitchen sink. Punk hits some falling head butts and applies a body scissors, but Cena fights out. Both men try suplexes near the apron, but Punk just dropkicks Cena to the floor. Punk kicks Cena in the gut back in the ring and applies an interesting arm-trap, neck-wrench submission. Cena fights to his feet and turns it into a tilt-a-whirl side slam. Cena hits a flying shoulder block but Punk prevents a second with a knee strike for 2. Punk misses the high knee in the corner and Cena hits some shoulder blocks, but misses the side suplex. Punk hits a downward spiral and puts Cena in a Koji clutch. Cena fights out and applies a modified STF, but Punk counters that into the Anaconda Vise, which Cena then counters into a Crippler Crossface. Punk makes it to the ropes and sends Cena to the floor before hitting a suicide dive. Triple H gets to 9, but instead of counting to 10 he goes to the floor and tosses both guys back into the ring, wanting a definitive finish. Cena and Punk trade punches and kicks before Punk fights out of the Attitude Adjustment, but Cena hits a dropkick and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.

Punk counters the AA with a sunset flip, but Cena escapes and tries a jackknife cover. Punk counters that and hits a roundhouse kick for 2. Punk goes for the Go to Sleep, but Cena fights out and hits a corner splash followed by a powerslam. Cena heads up top, but Punk hits a high knee and Cena falls into the ring. Punk then leaps off the second rope with a bulldog for 2. Punk attempts a springboard from the apron, but Cena avoids it and cinches in the STF, but Punk makes it to the ropes. Punk then counters the AA, but Cena counters the GTS and hits the AA for a near fall. Cena heads up top and misses the diving famouser, allowing Punk to hit the GTS for 2. Punk then heads up top and hits a Randy Savage elbow drop for a 2 count and a huge pop. Cena scores a near fall with a small package and unloads on Punk with punches. Punk hits a kick and a high knee followed by a second GTS. Cena gets his foot on the ropes but Triple H counts the pin and Punk is the Undisputed Champion. Cena argues with Triple H after the bell but leaves peacefully. Triple H raises Punk’s hand in the ring, congratulates him, and leaves to let him celebrate. The finish came off a little flat but there will obviously be follow-up to this. They were on their way to potentially matching the Money in the Bank match, as they definitely had the crowd with them and were working a really great match, but it ended before it could reach that level. The match was definitely much more storyline-driven than their initial encounter but this was still outstanding. Who knew that John Cena would be able to pull off such technically sound wrestling? These guys have awesome chemistry and produced another great PPV main event for the WWE this year. Match Time: 24:09     Star Rating: ****1/4

BUT WAIT!!!!! As Punk is celebrating in the ring, KEVIN NASH is suddenly behind him and hits a clothesline followed by a jackknife powerbomb. Triple H run back down and Nash runs away, and Alberto Del Rio then hits the ring with a referee to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. This leads to…

• Undisputed WWE Championship match: CM Punk(c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio instantly hits a running kick to the back of the head for the win. I like the way they are setting up this storyline with CM Punk and Triple H, but Del Rio being the champion is a big mistake. The guy is not yet a credible main event player, and he isn’t that over with many of the live crowds. Del Rio has all the tools to be a huge superstar but once again the WWE has jumped the gun by randomly giving a midcard heel a world title in order to make him seem important. It hurt Sheamus, it RUINED Jack Swagger, and now what will it do for Del Rio? If nothing else this whole situation is just devaluing the WWE Championship, because the main focus of Raw is going to be this Punk/HHH storyline, with the WWE title taking a backseat and Del Rio being secondary. Totally disagree with giving this guy the title but it’s going to be quite interesting to see how this Punk storyline continues. Match Time: 0:12     Star Rating: N/A

Overall PPV Rating: 8.25/10

1.    United States Championship match: Kofi Kingston(c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

This was a pretty impressive showing from both men. These guys have had numerous good matches in the past but this was better than the usual from them. Kofi starts off with a headlock, but Ziggler is able to escape, scissor Kofi’s head, and apply a headlock himself. They run the ropes, with Kofi doing a leap frog before hitting a dropkick and a monkey flip. Ziggler blocks the Trouble in Paradise and sends Kofi into the ropes before hitting a leg drop. Ziggler chokes Kofi against the bottom rope, but Kofi counters a neckbreaker attempt with a backslide. Ziggler hits a dropkick for a near fall and applies a modified camel clutch. Kofi fights out but Ziggler sends him into the ropes and hits a German suplex for 2. Ziggler applies an arm bar and goes for the sleeper, but Kofi counters and avoids a charging Ziggler in the corner. Kofi hits a big chop and a dropkick before Ziggler counters the SOS. Kofi hits Ziggler in the face and hits a cross body off the top to Ziggler’s back followed by the Boom Drop. Ziggler counters the Trouble in Paradise, but Kofi counters a back suplex attempt. Kofi hits the SOS for a close near fall and both guys go for roll ups. Kofi counters the Famouser and heads up top, but Dolph crotches him. Kofi knocks Ziggler to the mat and hits a big diving cross body for 2. Ziggler counters the SOS and goes for the sleeper but Kofi makes it to the corner. Kofi again fails to hit the Trouble in Paradise and Ziggler sends him into the ropes, where Vickie claws at his eyes. Ziggler then applies the sleeper, which Kofi struggles with for a while before the ref stops the match and Ziggler wins the belt. The finish was handled poorly and it came off very confusing, since WWE does not have much experience with MMA style finishes and thus they weren’t very smooth in the execution of this one. The finish hurts it but this was a very good, competitive opener. Match Time: 11:06     Star Rating: ***1/4

2.    The Miz vs. Alex Riley

This brought things to a lull after the hot opener. Riley charges out of the gate with punches, chases Miz around ringside and back into the ring, and unloads with more punches. Eventually Miz takes him down and hits a bunch of kicks, stomps, a boot to the head, and some punches of his own. Miz hits a low DDT, a knee to the back, and some shots to the head. Riley goes shoulder first into the post and falls to the floor, where Miz boots him in the head. Riley scores a shot to the jaw in the ring, but Miz applies a chin lock and jumps on Riley’s back. Riley fights out with some shots to the gut, but Miz scores a near fall and hits his corner clothesline. Riley gets hung up in the tree of woe, but Miz misses with the baseball slide dropkick. Riley hits a back elbow and a spear before tossing Miz into the corners and hitting a spinebuster. Miz tosses Riley to the floor but Riley comes back in and gets a near fall. Riley tosses Miz into the barricade and the announce table on the outside. Michael Cole yells at Riley, and Riley tosses him to the ground. Miz tries to use the briefcase back in the ring, but Riley is able to hit an impaler DDT for the win. The crowd popped for the finish so the match accomplished what it set out to do, but you have to figure that Miz looks incredibly weak right now. Match was also very dull until the last 2 minutes. Match Time: 10:12     Star Rating: **

3.    Alberto Del Rio vs. The Big Show

Show attacks on the ramp during Del Rio’s entrance, beating him down the ramp and tossing him hard into the barricade. Show puts Del Rio in the ring, but Mark Henry comes out to attack Show. Henry tosses Show over the announce table and hits the World’s Strongest Slam through the Spanish announce table. He then slams Show’s leg down onto the broken table. Show sells the knee as the ref counts him out (even though the bell never rang…), but Show makes it in at 7. The ref then calls for the opening bell and Show tosses Del Rio into the corner to hit a big chop. Del Rio reverses an irish whip and kicks Show in the injured leg. Show drops Del Rio during a body slam attempt and Del Rio hits a dropkick to the knee followed by multiple running kicks to the leg. Show kicks out of a cover and hits a chokeslam but sells the knee. Del Rio snaps Show’s neck over the ropes from the outside and leaps off the top, but Show tries for a chokeslam. Del Rio gets out and kicks Show’s leg, but Show counters the cross-arm breaker with a sloppy one handed slam. Show gets to the ropes to break an ankle lock. Del Rio stalks Show, who is struggling to get up. The ref rules Show can’t continue and calls for the bell, awarding the match to Del Rio. The match did nothing for Del Rio, who should have wiped the floor in a minute or two given the circumstances. The match also just consisted of Del Rio kicking Show in the leg over and over again, so it was extremely boring. Awful match that, even at 5 minutes, dragged considerably. Match Time: 4:57 (bell to bell)     Star Rating: DUD

4.    Intercontinental Championship match: Wade Barrett(c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Well, this was at least better than the last couple matches, as well as their Over the Limit match. Barrett applies a headlock, but breaks and heads to the floor. Jackson fires with punches, misses Barrett in the corner, and hits a shot to the back followed by a near fall. Barrett sends Jackson into the ropes and hits a kick to the head, and then applies a chin lock. Jackson hits some elbows and counters a pumphandle slam, but Barrett hits a sunset flip followed by a sidekick and a pumphandle slam for a near fall. Barrett puts the boots to Jackson in the corner and hits a bunch of kicks and punches. Jackson hangs up Barrett in the ropes and hits a shoulder block, clothesline, and steamrolls Barrett in the corner. Barrett charges and misses in the corner but blocks a powerslam. Barrett hits the Wasteland for 2, but Jackson blocks a big boot, hits 4 consecutive scoop slams, and forces a submission via the Torture Rack for the win. Kind of a TV quality match but not a terrible one at that. Wasn’t that exciting but it was fine. Match Time: 6:41     Star Rating: **

5.    Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

This was every bit as good as you’d expect from these two, and arguably the best match of the night. Punk teases some kicks early before they move into a brief mat wrestling sequence. Rey hits a modified snapmare and they stare each other down before they go into the corner. Rey hits some kicks to the leg but Punk hits a scoop slam and takes out Rey’s leg. Both guys go for roll ups before Rey dropkicks Punk into the ropes. Punk avoids the 619 only for Rey to hit a baseball slide. Rey tries for a seated senton to the floor, but Punk catches him and drops him face first on the barricade. Punk applies a surfboard in the ring and scores a near fall, then puts Rey in a body scissors. Rey fights out only to fall victim to a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Punk goes back to the body scissors, before Rey fights out and Punk puts on an abdominal stretch. Punk trips Rey up on the top rope and scores a near fall, but Rey comes back with a kick and a head scissors to the floor. Rey hits a huge asai moonsault to the floor and follows with a diving head butt to a standing Punk back in the ring. Punk rolls through a cross body attempt for a near fall and both guys miss with kicks. Rey hits a kick to the head for 2, but Punk comes back with a back superplex off the top for 2. Punk hits the high knee in the corner, but when he charges in another corner he goes shoulder first into the ring post. Rey hits a 619 around the post and Punk falls to the outside. Rey puts Punk back in the ring and heads up top, but Punk gets his knees up to block the splash and gets a near fall. Punk hits some knee strikes but Rey counters the Go to Sleep with a hurricanrana for 2. Punk hits a roundhouse kick for 2 and tries for the GTS, but Rey arm drags him into the ropes. Punk counters the 619 with a GTS for the win. The crowd was a little slow to warm up after being dead through the heat segment, but this was a very good match. The last few minutes were very exciting, the finish was excellent, and the right man got the win. Match Time: 14:58     Star Rating: ***1/2

6.    World Heavyweight Championship match: Randy Orton(c) vs. Christian

This wasn’t at the level of their match last month, but it was still a very good match to further along the feud. Orton takes Christian down early and hits several punches, a kick, a clothesline, and a stomp to the head. Christian hits some shots but Orton hits a Thesz press followed by more punches. They run the ropes, with Christian doing a leapfrog before Orton hits a shoulder block and applies a headlock. Christian fights out and goes to the second rope, but Orton avoids a diving Christian and stomps him. Christian tosses Orton to the floor and hits a baseball slide, but misses when he dives over the top rope. Orton scores a near fall in the ring and hits some punches before clotheslining Christian back to the outside. Orton tries for a spike DDT off the steps but Christian counters. Back in the ring, Christian stomps Orton and stands on his neck in the corner. Christian hits a neckbreaker, rakes the eyes, and wrenches Orton’s head. Orton gets up and gets 2 with a roll up, but Christian hits a spinebuster for 2 and punches Orton in the head. Orton whips Christian into the corner and hits a back body drop. Orton hits several punches to the chest, Christian counters a scoop slam attempt, and Orton counters a reverse DDT. Orton hits a clothesline, a snap powerslam, and a belly to belly slam. Christian teases a suplex to the floor before Orton hits him with a superplex off the top. They trade punches before they each counter the other’s finisher. Orton hits a gutwrench suplex and Christian scores a near fall with a reverse DDT. Christian misses a spear, counters the RKO, and hits a spear for 2. Orton gets the win with an RKO, but Christian’s foot is clearly under the bottom rope and the ref counted anyway. Christian protests after the match and Orton eventually hits him in the head with the title belt. This was a good way to continue this feud even if the match was a little too short and not as great as it could have been. Still, very good action all things considered. Match Time: 14:03     Star Rating: ***1/2

7.    Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne

This was a last-second add-on to kill time. They lock up, with Swagger applying a reverse headlock and hitting a powerslam. Swagger applies a hammerlock, but Bourne hits some kicks and they run the ropes. Bourne hits a headscissors but Swagger hits a pair of gutbusters and a front slam. Swagger hits some elbows to the gut and applies a modified crossface. Swagger hits a back body drop, some shots to the back, and a Vader Bomb for 2. Swagger puts his boot to Bourne’s gut, but Bourne comes back with a hurricanrana and some kicks before Swagger hits a scoop slam. Bourne hits the leaping knees the chest and a kick to the head, but Swagger hits a big boot for 2. Bourne hits a diving tornado DDT off the top and kicks Swagger in the head, but misses the shooting star press. Bourne counters the gutwrench powerbomb and Swagger tries for the Ankle Lock, but Bourne counters that with a roll up for the win. Decent little match, but they’ve done this on Raw so many times and Swagger has such little credibility that it was very difficult to care about it. For filler, it was pretty solid. Match Time: 7:17     Star Rating: **1/2

Then, the Barack Obama lookalike that had been making appearances throughout the show cut a promo on the stage to hype up the main event briefly. He goes to leave but Booker T gets in the ring and has him meet him there. Booker has the fake Obama do the spinarooni in a completely stupid, time-wasting segment. All this did was take time away from the main event.

8.    WWE Championship match: John Cena(c) vs. R-Truth

Given the extremely good buildup, this was very, very disappointing. Truth really got exposed and they didn’t get quite enough time for a main event, either. They lock up after some stalling, with Truth applying a brief headlock before they circle each other. Cena goes after Truth’s leg, but Truth bails to the floor. Truth hits a back elbow back in the ring, hits some shots in the corner, and chokes Cena with his boot. Cena whips Truth into the corner, hits a bulldog and a punch, and Truth goes to the floor. Truth counters the Attitude Adjustment in the ring and hits a reverse falcon arrow for 2. Truth chokes Cena with his boot and Cena hits some punches, but Truth hits a leg lariat for 2. Truth hits a slap and a leg drop, applies a hold, and hits the corkscrew clothesline for 2. Truth scores another near fall before Cena snaps his head over the ropes, but Truth clotheslines a charging Cena. Truth chokes Cena, stomps him, and scores a near fall before applying a chin lock. Truth then puts Cena in a body scissors before he hits a suplex for 2. Cena comes back with the shoulder blocks and the side slam followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Truth counters the AA with a suplex drop into a stunner. Cena avoids a charging Truth in the corner and puts him in the STF only for Truth to get the ropes. Truth kicks Cena in the guy and hits a scissor kick for 2. Cena rolls through a diving cross body attempt and goes for the AA, but Truth counters and hits the Shut Up for 2. Truth goes to the floor and puts on a kid’s Cena hat, but the kid splashes his drink in Truth’s face. Cena then hits the AA in the ring for the win. Dull main event with a crappy, cheesy, “play it safe” WWE style finish with the heel looking completely stupid and eating the pin. Before that, much of the match just consisted of Truth hitting Cena with a seemingly endless amount of moves and Cena continuously kicking out at 2. It was a very monotonous, unsatisfying way to close the show that really damaged R-Truth, who had been built up very well leading into this PPV. Match Time: 14:45     Star Rating: **1/4

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 three years.

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1.    TNA X Division Championship match: Jay Lethal(c) vs. Kazarian

The show actually started off on a good note, as Lethal and Kazarian put on one of only two good matches throughout the night. Lethal chases Kaz around ringside and into the ring, where he hits a hurricanrana and some punches. Kaz takes a hip toss and rolls out, only for Lethal to hit a suicide dive. Kaz tries to send Lethal into the apron, but Lethal ends up catching himself and hitting a moonsault off the apron. Lethal gets a near fall back in the ring and hits a hip toss and a dropkick. Lethal hits some chops but Kaz sends him shoulder first into a turnbuckle. They trade punches, but Lethal retakes the advantage and scores a near fall after a big dropkick. Lethal hits a back suplex but Kaz comes back with a back elbow and a spinebuster. Kaz rains down with punches, hits a gutwrench suplex, and chokes Lethal with his knee and the ropes. Kaz hits a nice springboard twisting leg drop and hits some forearms, but Lethal hits a handspring back elbow and both guys are down. They trade some shots but Lethal is able to hit a chop and snap Kaz’s leg over the ropes. Kaz slingshots over the ropes with a cutter for a near fall. They fight on the top rope, with Lethal hitting a sunset flip powerbomb for another near fall. Lethal hits an enzuigiri and the Lethal Combination but gets two. Kaz fights out of a pile driver, and hits a slingshot DDT from the apron. Kaz slaps Lethal, but Lethal comes back with chops. He hits a suplex and climbs up top, but takes an enzuigiri from Kaz. Kaz tries for the reverse tombstone off the top, but Lethal fights out and pushes Kaz into the ref. Kaz crotches Lethal on the ropes and hits the reverse tombstone piledriver for the win. This was a really good match to start off the show and Kaz winning went along with the idea of Immortal taking all the belts. Best Jay Lethal match in forever. Match Time: 11:36     Star Rating: ***1/2

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

There’s only one word that could best sum up this match: DULL. Mickie tries for some quick pin attempts early, locks in a headlock, and hits a shoulder block. Rayne fights out of a headlock but takes a dropkick, sending her to the apron. Mickie throws Rayne back into the ring and locks in a wrist lock. Rayne makes it to the ropes, yells at Mickie, and pulls her down by her hair. Mickie hits a Thesz press but Rayne rolls outside, before returning to the ring as soon as Mickie leaves. Rayne chokes Mickie against the ropes and tries for a kick, but Mickie hits a snapmare and a low dropkick. Rayne chokes Mickie again but Mickie hits a headscissors. Rayne pulls Mickie off the top by her hair and locks in a body scissors. Rayne then applies a seemingly never ending cravat, which she transitions into a rear chin lock. Mickie fights out eventually but Rayne hits a knee and a kick. Mickie hits a wheelbarrow slam and some forearms, beginning a comeback. Mickie spanks Rayne in the corner but Rayne rakes the eyes behind the ref’s back. Mickie hits a neckbreaker, a top rope Thesz press, and calls for the DDT, but Tara comes out. I thought this feud was over. The ref tries separating both men and Rayne puts on a glove and plays dead in the ring. When Mickie returns to the ring, Rayne hits a big punch (the glove was apparently loaded) and gets the win. So all this buildup for Mickie, and the outcome is that she loses to Rayne and a feud that supposedly ended a month ago is still going on? Really, what more can you do with Mickie and Tara? This match also dragged on forever and got incredibly boring. Terrible booking and a long length produced an awful match. The Knockouts must never get 10+ minutes again. Match Time: 10:27     Star Rating: *

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

Although this match took place a little bit earlier than I would have preferred, both of these teams delivered outstanding performances and produced the match of the night. After a staredown and some circling, Alex Shelley and Robert Roode lock up. Roode knocks Shelley down and wrenches at his leg, then applies a headlock. Shelley fights out and takes a shoulder block, but hits a back heel kick. Roode tags out to James Storm, but the Machineguns hit a hip toss, some double team moves, and stereo round kicks, with Chris Sabin tagging in. The Guns tag in and out to work over Storm’s arm before Shelley hits an assisted dropkick on Storm. The Guns then hit simultaneous suicide dives outside of the ring. Shelley tries for a top rope double stomp, but Storm avoids it, only to eat a back crescent kick. A sliced bread attempt from Shelley fails, and he eats a Northern lariat from Roode. Beer Money hits a double team shoulder block and Roode gets a near fall off a knee drop. Storm beats on Shelley in the corner and snaps over him with a neckbreaker before tagging to Roode, who applies a rear chin lock. Roode stomps Shelley and spits at Sabin, and Beer Money hit some double team moves due to the ref having to restrain Sabin. Roode reapplies the chin lock on Shelley and tags in Storm, and Beer Money wrench Shelley’s leg before Storm apparently tries for a last chancery, but it looks horrible.

Roode tags in and hits a short arm clothesline and a neckbreaker, and Beer Money tag in and out repeatedly to wear down Shelley. Shelley finally gets a hot tag and Sabin hits a big dropkick and a kick to Roode’s chest. Sabin hangs up Roode in the tree of woe and hits a dropkick, and then suplexes Storm on top of Roode. Sabin hits a hurricanrana off the middle rope before hitting a double team DDT with Shelley. Roode puts Shelley on the top rope but Shelley fights him off and hits a diving double stomp after Sabin clotheslines Roode. Storm hits a backstabber on Shelley and Sabin gets beer spat in his face, followed by Roode hitting a spinebuster for a near fall. Shelley hits a baseball slide and a plancha to the outside to Storm. The Guns hit some double kicks on Roode but Storm pulls the ref out. Shelley leaps off the top rope to Storm on the outside, but Roode hits a Northern Lights suplex in the ring for a near fall. Beer Money hits the DWI on Sabin for another near fall. Shelley holds Roode in the corner and Sabin tries for a yakuza kick, but Roode moves and Sabin hits Shelley. Roode then rolls up Sabin for the win. Last 5-10 minutes of this thing were great even though the finish wasn’t the best. Not at the level of some of the matches from their feud last year, but still a very strong tag team match that got enough time to tell a story and deliver PPV quality stuff. Match Time: 17:59     Star Rating: ***3/4

4.    Bully Ray vs. Brother Devon

The PPV pretty much went downhill from here, even though this match surprisingly wasn’t completely atrocious. Devon beats on Ray outside the ring at the start, pummeling him with everything in sight. They go into the ring, where Ray tries to beg off, but Devon blocks a low blow and hits some punches. Devon hits a clothesline, a Thesz press, and more punches. They fight outside the ring, with Devon slamming Ray into the barricade. Ray bails through the crowd, but Devon follows, sending him into the arena walls. They brawl in the crowd for a while, with Devon hitting Ray with a fan’s shoe. Ray eventually crawls back into the ring and hits a double sledge to Devon when he tries to follow. Ray hits a slap, some punches, and an eye poke. Ray whips Devon into the corners and Devon hits a back elbow, but gets caught with a cutter from Ray. Devon avoids an elbow drop and slams Ray to the mat to block the Bubba Bomb. Ray crotches Devon up top, chops him, and hits a superplex. Ray takes out a chain, but Devon avoids getting hit with it, hitting some punches and a back body drop. Devon then whips Ray with the chain, getting himself disqualified. The brawl continues after the match, with everyone coming out from the back to break it up. It was an okay brawl but with the non finish it didn’t belong on PPV, even though the crowd was hot for it. I don’t want to see this feud continue. Match Time: 8:51     Star Rating: **

5.    TNA Television Championship match: Douglas Williams(c) vs. Abyss

AJ Styles was legitimately injured prior to the show, so they wrote him out of his scheduled match with Williams with a backstage segment earlier in the night. This match was just as bad as any other Abyss match over the past couple of years. Williams rolls out early on, but hits a shoulder block to a charging Abyss and tries for a sunset flip. Williams avoids being sat on and sells a hand injury throughout the match. Abyss launches Williams into the ring post and slams his hand against it. Williams hits some punches on the outside but Abyss slams the injured hand into the steps. Williams jumps off the middle rope back in the ring and Abyss tries to catch him with a chokeslam, but Williams fights out and takes a big boot. Abyss again beats on Williams on the outside, slamming his hand into the barricade. Abyss tries to use the TV title but Williams avoids it, only for Abyss to work over the arm back in the ring. Abyss hits some right hands but Williams comes off the second rope with a European uppercut. Williams makes a comeback and hits a big back suplex. Williams hits a diving knee drop off the top, but when he charges at Abyss he gets hit with a chokeslam. Abyss gets a two count and goes outside to grab the nail-covered board. While the ref is busy with Abyss, AJ Styles comes out and clocks Williams with the TV title. Styles leaves and Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam to win the title. Very bad match with a terrible finish that made no sense. They spent weeks teasing an AJ face turn and then he costs Williams the title? Not to mention Williams had the belt for only a month. Just terrible. Match Time: 9:50     Star Rating: *1/2

6.    Rob Van Dam vs. Matt Hardy

Van Dam was to face a mystery opponent selected by Immortal, and if he won, he would get a shot at Jeff Hardy and the world title. To the surprise of no one, it was Matt Hardy, who came out looking like a cross between Tyler Reks, the lead singer from Korn, and Umaga. He had braided hair and was fatter than ever. He was ENORMOUS. Hardy hits Van Dam in the face to start and quickly takes him down, but Van Dam boots him in the face. Van Dam hits a springboard back kick and some other quick kicks and forearms. Van Dam backdrops a charging Hardy to the apron and hits a kick that sends him to the guard rail. Van Dam hits a springboard moonsault to the outside and hits a cross body back in the ring for a near fall. RVD counters the Twist of Hate, but Hardy suplexes him into the bottom turnbuckle. Hardy hits a clothesline, a bulldog, and applies a seated full nelson. Hardy hits some back elbows and a neckbreaker and climbs to the middle rope. He slips at first, probably because he’s so FAT, and jumps off only to be met with a superkick. They trade blows, with Hardy hitting a swinging neckbreaker and choking RVD against the ropes. Hardy hits a leg drop and puts on a rear chin lock. RVD fights out with a kick to the face and a roll up attempt before they trade shots again. RVD hits a back heel kick and kicks out of a small package, then hits an atomic drop and a single leg dropkick. RVD hits Rolling Thunder and the Five Star Frog Splash, but during the pin attempt, the ref claims Hardy’s hand was under the ropes. Hardy hits the Twist of Hate and RVD’s leg is under the ropes, but the ref counts the pin and Hardy wins. Ending sets up a future referee Jackson James heel turn. Match wasn’t good at all and it was a really embarrassing debut for Hardy, who should lay off the fast food. Match Time: 11:53     Star Rating: **1/4

7.    MMA Exhibition: Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle

The rules were that there would be three rounds, each lasting 2 minutes each. This was the worst Kurt Angle match I can remember. Nothing happens in the first round except Angle laying down to mock Jarrett, a corner break (which is funny because THAT DOESN’T OCCUR IN AN MMA FIGHT), and Angle locking in a rear naked choke as time expires. Round 2 starts, with Angle going for a Kimura but breaking quickly, and then applying a choke hold. Jarrett gets a rope break but Angle hits a suplex and applies an arm bar, which he transitions to an Ankle Lock as time expires. Jarrett’s crew put something on Jarrett’s gloves and rub something in Angle’s face as Round 3 starts. Jarrett rubs his forearm in Angle’s face, and Angle falls to the mat to blade RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. Angle is bleeding all over the place and the ref disqualifies Jarrett about 30 seconds into the third round. Jarrett beats down Angle after the bell. This whole thing was incredibly stupid and made TNA look like a joke. MMA fights are ridiculous to stage in pro wrestling, especially when they try to add in pro wrestling elements like they did here. Just an awful waste of time and it made Angle looks like a complete tool. Match Time: 4:30 (bell to bell time for all 3 rounds)     Star Rating: DUD

8.    #1 Contender’s match: Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson

Our advertised main event was an awesome battle, as I struggled mightily to stay awake no matter how hard Anderson and Morgan tried to bore me (and everyone else watching) to death. Morgan applies a brief side headlock and hits a shoulder block before they lock up a second time. Anderson applies a headlock but Morgan shrugs off a shoulder block attempt. Anderson fights out of a headlock by Morgan but takes a shoulder block. Morgan hits a hip toss but misses a leg drop. Morgan charges Anderson in the corner but Anderson kicks him in the thigh. Morgan lays the beat down in the corner before hitting a head butt. Morgan hits a corner splash and a side slam, but Anderson ducks a Carbon Footprint attempt, sending Morgan to the outside. Anderson slams Morgan head first into the barricade but gets driven back first into the post. Morgan slams Anderson into the apron and chokes him with his boot, then hits the rapid fire elbows in the corner. Anderson comes back with a chop block and wrenches at Morgan’s knee. Anderson applies a half crab but Morgan gets a rope break. Morgan hits some punches but eats a knee to the gut. Anderson kicks a charging Morgan in the head and leaps off the second rope, but gets caught with a chokeslam. Morgan hits some short arm clotheslines, but Anderson ducks a discus clothesline and hits the Mic Check for a near fall. Both guys trade blows until Morgan hits the Carbon Footprint for a near fall. Anderson ducks another Carbon Footprint attempt and hits a second Mic Check for two. Morgan counters another Mic Check attempts but Anderson gets the win with a small package out of nowhere. Incredibly dull match with a really anticlimactic finish. It just never got off the ground and was sleep-inducing. Match Time: 15:28     Star Rating: *3/4

After the match, Eric Bischoff comes out and says that he’s impressed and is going to give Anderson his world title shot tonight. The match is going to happen right now. Bischoff wishes Anderson good luck as Jeff Hardy comes out in street clothes with a cigarette in his mouth.

9.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship match: Jeff Hardy(c) vs. Mr. Anderson

Hardy kicks and stomps at Anderson at the start, but Anderson throws him to the outside, where Matt Morgan hits a discus clothesline to Hardy. Morgan rolls him in the ring where Anderson gets a near fall. They trade shots, with Anderson getting the advantage until Hardy kicks him in the gut. Anderson hits a clothesline, an elbow, and a neckbreaker for a near fall. He rakes Hardy’s eyes and sends him into the corner, but Hardy hits the Whisper in the Wind. Both guys go outside and Hardy grabs a chair, but Mick Foley comes out to take it away, leading Ric Flair to come down the ramp. Security is there to separate Foley and Flair as Hardy and Anderson fight on the top rope in the ring. Hardy shoves down Anderson and hits the Swanton, but Anderson kicks out. Anderson is bleeding a bit and hits a standing Green Bay Plunge, but Jeff hits a running lariat as Matt Hardy runs down the ramp. Just as Matt gets on the apron, Rob Van Dam comes down to brawl with him, and they fight to the back. Eric Bischoff then comes out with a chair, but Anderson hits him with a Mic Check. Jeff tries for the Twist of Hate, but Anderson counters and hits the Mic Check for the win just as members of Fortune start coming down the ramp. Good move by TNA to get the title off of Jeff Hardy, seeing as he is due in court for opium trafficking, and Anderson will make a fine champion. I can’t really give the match a rating, because with all the run ins and craziness, it felt more like an angle to get the belt off of Hardy than an actual match. I’ll just label it a good segment and a good conclusion to a really bad PPV. Match Time: 9:10     Star Rating: N/A

Overall PPV Rating: 5.25/10

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.    #1 Contender’s match: Ink Inc. vs. Beer Money

The winners of this match would receive a future shot at the tag titles. This was a pretty decent opener and possibly the best match Ink Inc. has ever had. Jesse Neal and James Storm start the match, with Storm landing a kick to the gut and some punches. Neal fights back with some punches of his own, a hip toss, and a dropkick. Neal hits a back body drop to Robert Roode before Shannon Moore enters to hit some double team dropkicks with Neal, sending Beer Money to the outside. Storm returns to the ring but Moore catches him with an arm bar. Storm fights out but Moore puts him down and hits a leg drop. Roode ends up accidentally elbow dropping Storm and Moore hip tosses Neal on top of Storm for a near fall. Neal hits a forearm but takes a lungblower from Storm, and Roode tags in. Roode beats on Neal in the corner and cheap shots Moore, allowing Storm to reenter the match. Storm uses his wrist tape to choke Neal, and Beer Money then hit some quick double team moves on him. Roode stomps away at Neal and applies a rear chin lock. Neal fights out eventually and kicks Roode in the chest but Roode hits a clubbing blow across the back. Neal hits a jawbreaker and gets a hot tag to Moore, who comes in with a ton of punches and heel kicks. Moore this a hurricanrana and a face plant but Storm breaks up the pin. Neal clotheslines Roode over the ropes and Ink Inc. both do suicide dives onto Beer Money. Ink Inc. almost get the win after a double team but Roode kicks out. Moore gets knocked off the top rope and Neal hits a front suplex, but Beer Money hit a superkick and the DWI for the win. Decent, fun opener between these teams and it’s good to see that Beer Money is getting back into the tag team championship picture. Match Time: 10:49     Star Rating: **3/4

2.    Falls Count Anywhere match: Tara vs. Mickie James

After a brief but solid match at last month’s Turning Point PPV, Tara and Mickie’s match this month was blander and disappointing. The gimmick ended up hurting the match more than helping it. They start the match by brawling on the outside, trading a ton of punches before Tara ends up crotched on the guardrail. Mickie sends Tara into the guardrail and the apron before throwing her in the ring, where she hits a missile dropkick. Mickie hits a big forearm but Tara hits some shots of her own to take Mickie down in the corner. Tara chokes Mickie with her boot and blocks a hurricanrana attempt, slamming Mickie into the turnbuckle and sending her to the floor. Mickie comes back inside where she dropkicks Tara to the outside and hits a baseball slide. Mickie goes out but Tara hits some punches and throws her into the crowd. They fight in the crowd, with Tara getting a near fall after slamming Mickie into a chair. Mickie whips Tara into a steel structure and chokes her against a wall. They fight backstage near a concession stand and slam each other into it. Mickie hits Tara with a sign and slams her into a gate. Tara tries for a piledriver but Mickie backdrops her onto the floor for a near fall. They continue this repetitive brawling outside before making their way back near the Impact Zone, with Mickie hitting a Thesz press off a small structure before they fight into a men’s bathroom. A bunch of TNA employees start running out and Mickie gave Tara a swirly. Madison Rayne is near the back and sprays a fire extinguisher in Mickie’s face before hitting her with the Knockouts title. Tara gets the pin to finally end it. The match started off good but there’s only so much you can do with the backstage fighting. By the end they had taken a vicious feud and turned it into stupid comedy. Match Time: 10:33     Star Rating: **

3.    TNA X Division Championship match with Cookie Suspended Above the Ring in a Shark Cage: Robbie E(c) vs. Jay Lethal

Yes you read that title correctly. Unsurprisingly, this was one of the weaker matches on the show, mostly due to a bad finish. Cookie at first refuses to get in the cage and walks away as Lethal jumps Robbie from behind, but Shark Boy (huh?) comes out and carries her to the cage. Cookie ends up in the cage, which then rises high above the ring as the match begins. Lethal hits some right hands before Robbie rolls out, only for Robbie to land some shots on the outside when Lethal follows. Lethal comes back with a missile dropkick back in the ring and some chops in the corner. Lethal crotches Robbie on the ropes and rocks the rope up and down before hitting some more chops. Robbie sends Lethal into the corner and pounds away at him. Robbie hits a running back elbow and whips Lethal into the corners, but Lethal retakes the advantage after Robbie spends time jawing with Cookie. Robbie puts Lethal down and applies a LONG rear chin lock. Lethal finally fights out and sends Robbie into the corner. Lethal makes a comeback with punches, clotheslines, and chops. He hits the Lethal Combination for a near fall before both guys end up down after a collision. Cookie tosses something to Robbie and the ref takes it away, but she tosses something else to him after that. Lethal gets it and sprays Robbie in the face before hitting the Lethal Injection. The ref then calls for the bell and DQs Lethal, even though he never even saw Lethal use the spray. After the match Shark Boy came back out to hit the Stunner on Cookie. Booking of this feud was ass-backwards as they had a clean finish last month and the match to end the feud had a non-finish. Match was okay but the finish was stupid. Match Time: 8:11     Star Rating: **

4.    First Blood match: Rhino vs. Rob Van Dam

This may have been the biggest surprise of the evening. I never would have expected a Rhino/RVD match in 2010 to be anything above watchable but this was actually pretty solid. RVD hits some punches and a heel kick early on, with Rhino rolling to the outside. Rhino hits a clothesline as RVD poses for the crowd. Rhino beats on RVD in the corner, clawing and biting at his head. RVD comes back with a couple kicks and rolling thunder before hitting some punches and raking his boot across Rhino’s face. RVD messes up the slingshot apron leg drop at first but repeats it and connects. He goes up top but Rhino pulls him down. Rhino slams Van Dam’s head into the turnbuckle but gets back dropped onto the apron and kicked to the floor. Van Dam hits a baseball slide and Rhino ends up on the guardrail, which is followed by Van Dam hitting a leg drop from the apron. Rhino comes back and slams Van Dam into the guardrail and the steps before hitting a big suplex on the entrance ramp. Van Dam sends Rhino back into the ring and big boots a charging Rhino in the corner. RVD back flips over Rhino but takes a Gore. Rhino grabs a trash can and misses when he tries to hit RVD with it, but Rhino comes back with a belly to belly slam. Rhino wedges the can in the corner before hitting a spinebuster to RVD. RVD hits a kick to the face, a twisting leg drop, and some punches before hitting a sloppy single leg dropkick. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash and tries to hit Rhino with the trash can lid, but Rhino hits a DICK PUNCH and a DDT. RVD fights out of a piledriver attempt and hits a Van Daminator with the trash can lid, but Rhino still isn’t bleeding. RVD puts Rhino in the corner and puts the chair in his face, then hits a coast to coast Van Terminator, busting Rhino open for the victory. Van Dam was sloppy in parts but there were enough big moves to hold this thing together, and they didn’t even have to resort to many gimmicks, which is a good thing here. First Blood matches are tough to do well but they fought this like a regular brawl with a blood spot and it worked. Good match from these two.  Match Time: 12:29     Star Rating: ***

5.    TNA Television Championship match: AJ Styles(c) vs. Douglas Williams

A normal title match with two great workers and no gimmicks? Say it isn’t so on this PPV! This was a really strong match from these guys and the second best match of the night. Great to see AJ in a really good singles match after being stuck in the multi-man Fortune/EV 2.0 matches the past couple months. They lock up a couple times to start until Williams takes down AJ to his knee. Good chain wrestling follows until AJ sends Williams into the ropes to break a front face lock. Williams fights out of the Styles Clash and a stare down follows. Williams applies a front chancery and some variations but AJ sends him into the corner. Styles fights out of the Chaos Theory and sends Williams to the floor. Styles hits a kick to the gut as Williams comes back in, but Williams hits a European uppercut. Williams boots Styles off the apron, sending him to the floor. Williams does a crazy dive off the apron onto Styles, but Styles comes back with some right hands in the ring. William traps AJ’s leg in the ropes and hits a clothesline. Williams hits a running knee and goes to the top rope, but AJ shoves him down to the floor.

Williams comes back into the ring but AJ puts him down and hits a second rope moonsault. Williams hits some headbutts but eats a dropkick from AJ for a near fall. AJ applies a rear chin lock but Williams fights out. Williams blocks a suplex but AJ hits a knee, hanging up Williams on the ropes. Williams returns to the ring but Styles works the knee and applies a figure four, with Williams struggling to fight out and both guys rolling out to the floor. The figure four stays intact on the outside but both guys return to the ring to beat the count. Williams hits a couple uppercuts only for Styles to reverse a standard suplex, but Williams hits a huge exploder. Williams puts on a cravat and hits a running knee, then hits a big boot and a diving European uppercut from the second rope for a near fall. Styles comes back with a moonsault reverse DDT but only gets two, and Williams scores a near fall off a roll-up. They trade punches until Styles hits a Pele. Williams ends up outside the ring where AJ tries for a dive, but Williams avoids it. Williams then runs AJ into the guardrail and hits a crazy Chaos Theory on the outside. Both guys beat the count but Williams hits a Styles Clash on AJ in the ring for the victory. Really good match between these guys but it felt like it could have used an extra few minutes to be really great. Perhaps they’re saving that for a rematch, which I’d certainly have no problem with. Match Time: 14:53     Star Rating: ***1/2

6.    Full Metal Mayhem match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machineguns(c) vs. Generation Me

This was a completely awesome tag title match, and a potential TNA match of the year candidate. Best match yet between these teams and a proper way to end the feud. The match starts with both teams brawling at ringside until Jeremy Buck hits a facebuster on Chris Sabin in the ring before doing an outside dive onto Alex Shelley. Jeremy sets up a table on the floor while Max Buck beats on Sabin in the ring. Sabin avoids a suplex off the apron through the table but takes a double team DDT from Gen. Me. They go for another double team move but Sabin fights out and dropkicks Max. Jeremy wedges a chair in the corner, but ends up getting splashed against it by the Guns. Jeremy throws a chair in Shelley’s face before hitting a single leg dropkick. Gen. Me grab a ladder but the Guns hit a baseball slide against it. Sabin tries a dive but gets a chair thrown in his face, and Shelley is then hit in the leg with a chair. Shelley fights back in the ring and tries for a shiranui (Sliced Bread #2), but Max powerbombs him into a ladder in the corner. Jeremy then jumps off the turnbuckle, sandwiching Shelley with the ladder. The Guns prevent Gen. Me from getting the titles, but Gen. Me comes back with some double team moves. Sabin prevents Max from ascending the ladder by hitting a dragon screw through the ladder. Max ends up sandwiched in the ladder, which Shelley hits a double stomp to, before Jeremy ends up bulldogged onto the ladder with Max still trapped.

Sabin climbs the ladder but Gen. Me knocks it over, sending Sabin into the ropes. Max sends Shelley into the corner while Sabin sends Jeremy into the ladder in the corner. Max is tied up in the tree of woe, where Sabin dropkicks a chair into his face. Max ends up buried under a ladder, which Sabin then stacks with a couple chairs, and Shelley then hits a diving double stomp onto the pile with Max underneath. The Guns bring in two more ladders and set them up, with all four guys fighting on them. Everyone ends up falling down, with both teams attempting double team moves before the Guns hit a wheelbarrow chair assisted lungblower. The Guns reset the ladders and grab a table, setting it up across the tops of two of the ladders a la the Triangle Ladder match from Wrestlemania 2000. The Guns then hit Jeremy with a crazy doomsday device cross body on the outside, and then set up another table in the ring. Gen. Me put Sabin on the table and Max punches him while Jeremy climbs a ladder. Shelley stops him and they fight on the apron, with Shelley hitting an insane standing shiranui off the apron through the table left on the floor. Max and Sabin then stand on the table atop the ladders, dueling with chairs, Max’s chair is knocked out of his hands and he ends up falling off the structure, taking a bump through the other table in the ring. Sabin pulls down the titles and the Guns retain. This was a completely awesome match with a lot of innovative spots and less reliance on the tables, which you typically don’t see in a TLC style match. Match Time: 16:05     Star Rating: ****1/4

7.    Casket match: Abyss vs. D’Angelo Dinero

Surprisingly, the downfall of this PPV did not begin with this match. After a pretty piss poor match at Turning Point, Pope and Abyss had a surprisingly decent match here. Pope hits a bunch of punches at the start, but has to avoid being tossed into the casket. Pope pounds on Abyss some more, but Abyss throws him outside by the throat. Pope beats on Abyss outside the ring, slamming him into the barricade and driving his knee into him. Pope avoids a corner splash from Abyss back in the ring and hits one of his own and a face plant. He goes up top only for Abyss picks him up and slams him off the top onto the casket, but this was much safer than the fateful Shawn Michaels bump because Pope took a full bump on the casket rather than clipping his back on the edge. Abyss hits a corner splash in the ring and takes Dinero to the casket, but Dinero fights back with a dropkick. Abyss hangs on to the ropes and head butts Dinero. Abyss hits a punch before Dinero catches him with a sleeper, but Abyss turns it into a side slam. Abyss head butts Dinero but can’t fully shut the lid on the casket. Dinero comes back with a punch and a diving shoulder block before hitting some more quick strikes culminating with a clothesline/leg sweep combo. Dinero hits some inverted atomic drops and a bulldog before trying to put Abyss in the casket, but Abyss prevents it and throws Dinero back in the ring, where he hits a Black Hole Slam. Pope prevents the lid from being shut on the casket and knocks Abyss into the ring with some punches. Pope hits the 4Up followed by the DDE and puts Abyss in the casket, but when he tries to shut the lid Abyss hits a DICK PUNCH through the side of the casket, and then strangely holds on to Pope’s crotch. Both guys end up fighting on the apron, where Abyss chokeslams Pope into the casket before shutting the lid to end the match. Wasn’t that great of a match but they hit some nice spots, though I question why Abyss needed to go over as a win would have done a lot for Pope. Similar to the First Blood match, this was a tricky gimmick that ended up being executed solidly. Match Time: 12:02     Star Rating: **3/4

8.    Submission match: Jeff Jarrett vs. Samoa Joe

Ah, NOW we move on to the downfall of the PPV. I had countless problems with the angle leading up to this match, and this match proved to be just as crappy as the storyline which preceded it. Jarrett is in his MMA gear as we get a brief lock up with both guys feeling each other out. Joe hits a big Judo toss but Jarrett hits some cheap shots. Joe pulls down Jarrett down into an arm bar and Jarrett gets a rope break, but Joe applies a key lock. Jarrett makes it to the ropes but Joe beats on him in the corner. Jarrett ends up tying Joe’s leg up on the post on the outside and applying a sloppy Ankle Lock. Joe rolls out of the hold and hits some strikes before applying an Ankle Lock of his own, with a grapevine. Jarrett gets a break but takes a bump and a senton splash. Joe applies an arm submission now, with Jarrett again getting to the ropes before Joe hits some punches and a powerbomb before applying a cloverleaf. Jarrett crawls to the floor, where Joe catches him in a rear naked choke to force a submission, but it doesn’t count because they’re outside the ring. Joe applies an arm bar back in the ring and Jarrett taps out, but his foot was under the ropes. Joe misses a knee in the corner but hits a Muscle Buster. Gunner and Murphy then run out, REPEATING THE SAME SPOT FROM THE TURNING POINT MATCH, distracting Joe and allowing Jarrett to catch him in an Ankle Lock. The ref calls for the bell as Joe struggles and Jarrett has now garnered TWO SUBMISSION VICTORIES OVER SAMOA JOE IN 2010. This match was really bad, not only due to TNA trying to pretend that they are MMA, but also due to the fact that the storytelling made zero sense with Joe constantly going back and forth between the arm and the leg. Pick a body part and stick with it. I still can’t believe Joe lost. Really bad stuff. Match Time: 9:09     Star Rating: *1/2

9.    No Disqualification match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Mr. Anderson as Special Guest Referee: Jeff Hardy(c) vs. Matt Morgan

Anderson announces at the start that the match would be No DQ. Jeff Hardy was reported to be in such a bad state earlier in the day that TNA considered pulling him from the show, stripping him of the title, and crowning a new champion tonight. Lovely news. This match was every bit as bad as you’d think it would be. They lock up to start, with Morgan throwing Hardy into the corner, punching him, and slamming him into the turnbuckle. Morgan hits the rapid fire elbows and a splash, and then hits an apron leg drop. Hardy dropkicks Morgan out of the ring and hits a double sledge before sending Morgan into the ring post. They return to the ring where Hardy applies a chin lock, but Morgan fights out and avoids some right hands. Hardy hits a back elbow but misses the Whisper in the Wind. Morgan hits some clotheslines, a corner splash, and a side slam, which he follows up with a discuss clothesline for a near fall. Hardy kicks a charging Morgan in the corner and tries for the dive, but gets caught with a sloppy Black Hole Slam by Morgan. Hardy hits a Twist of Hate for a near fall. Hardy hits some punches but Morgan hits the Carbon Footprint. Hardy fights out of a suplex and hits a Twist of Hate, which he follows up with some leg drops before going up top.

Morgan gets the knees up to block the Swanton and is slow to get up as Hardy walks away. Anderson confronts him on the ramp but Hardy shoves him a few times. Anderson then beats on Hardy and throws him back in the ring, where Morgan gets a near fall off a roll-up. Hardy hits ANOTHER Twist of Hate but Anderson does a very slow count, allowing Morgan to kick out. Hardy hits Morgan in the leg with a chair and goes for the Twist of Hate, but Morgan shoves him off into Anderson, who takes a bump to the outside. Morgan hits the Carbon Footprint, but Eric Bischoff comes out with his son Jackson James. You know, that referee involved in that storyline where he keeps getting bullied by Immortal. Morgan gets a near fall after a slow count, and Morgan yells at Bischoff. He puts down the chair and tries for a chokeslam, but Hardy hits the Twist of Hate onto the chair, and James COUNTED THE PIN LIKE ANY NORMAL REFEREE WOULD and Hardy retains. WHAT? That is worse than the obvious swerve that people expected. That was completely MORONIC. The match also sucked. Botched spots and general sloppiness, and the whole thing consisted of Hardy hitting the Twist of Hate over and over again. For the love of God let this be the end of the Matt Morgan experiment. Hardy needs help to have good main event matches, and Matt Morgan certainly is not help. Match Time: 12:38     Star Rating: *1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 7.25/10

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 forwww.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.    Winner is #1 Contender to the TNA World Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machineguns vs. Beer Money Inc. vs. Team 3D

The show opened with a pretty good 3 way tag match where the winner would be the number one contenders for the tag titles. All 3 teams were showcased well, however it just seemed like Team 3D couldn’t care less about the match. Robert Roode and Alex Shelley begin with a ton of chain wrestling before Shelley hits a hurricanrana and a wheelbarrow into a bulldog for a near fall. Roode fights back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker before tagging in his partner. Storm lands some shots on Shelley and knocks Sabin off the apron. Storm rolls to the outside but is met with a kick from Sabin. The Guns then double team Roode in the ring and do the same to Storm once he is tagged in. Storm gets a high knee on Sabin but Brother Ray gets the blind tag on Storm. Ray works Sabin’s arm for a bit before Sabin comes back with some kicks to the ribs, but Ray puts him back down with a right hand and a big boot. Devon is tagged in and does a backbreaker leg drop combo with Ray but Shelley breaks up the pin attempt. Shelley lands a dropkick on Devon but misses a dive to the outside on Ray. Devon hits a slam on Sabin but Storm breaks it up. Ray is tagged in and hits a chop to Sabin before knocking both members of Beer Money off the ring apron. Ray goes for a senton but Sabin avoids it and tags in Shelley. Shelley starts to work over both members of Team 3D, gets caught on a cross body attempt, but Sabin dropkicks Shelley allowing him to connect. 3D collide on a Ray dive to the outside before Sabin hits an outside dive onto Beer Money. Roode gets a tag and clotheslines Shelley before hitting a double suplex with Storm. Shelley eats a ton of offense before Storm puts on a rear chin lock. Beer Money continue to work over Shelley before Shelley gets the tag to Sabin. Everything breaks down with 3D throwing bodies everywhere. 3D hit a doomsday device to Roode and an elbow to Storm. Sabin hits a springboard cross body on Ray for a 2 count before Sabin is thrown to the outside. 3D tries for the 3D but Storm spits beer in Devon’s eyes. The Guns enter and hit a neckbreaker cross body combo on Roode to win the match. Pretty good opener, happy the Guns won. Match Time: 12:38     Match Rating: 6.5/10

2.    TNA Global Championship: Rob Terry(c) vs. Orlando Jordan

Although it was the worst match of the night, this was not as bad as I was expecting given the disgusting and bizarre storyline. Terry pounds on Jordan all across the ring at the start before hitting a big hip toss. Terry hits a corner clothesline and a big lariat, then hits a back body drop, a corner splash, and a big side slam for a 2 count. Jordan hits a boot to the face but Terry responds with a spin kick. Jordan tries to crawl away up the ramp but Terry brings him back into the ring. Terry hits a big running powerslam for a near fall before missing a kick and getting his leg hung up in the ropes. Jordan kicks away at the leg before slamming it down to the mat. He wrenches away at the leg before tying it up around the ring post. Jordan is still pounding away at the knee, interrupted by a couple failed submission attempts. Terry tries to fend him off but Jordan responds with some punches before going back to the knee, hitting a very messed up looking weak knee drop. Jordan misses another knee drop and Terry hits a chokeslam out of nowhere for the win. Very boring match that dragged out a bit longer than it needed to. Match Time: 7:52     Match Rating: 3/10

3.    TNA X Division Championship: Kazarian(c) vs. Doug Williams

This was arguably the match of the night. Not your typical X Division spotfest at all, these guys worked to put on a very good match that incorporated multiple wrestling styles. After a couple lockups and breaks, Williams puts on a front chancery  before taking Kaz down to the mat. Kaz puts on a headscissors but Williams powers out. More mat wrestling between these two as they trade holds. Kaz fights out of a second chancery and puts on an armbar. They go up top but Kaz gets knocked off and crashes face first on the edge of the entrance ramp. Kaz goes to the apron but Williams sends him back down with a neckbreaker. Williams sends Kaz into the apron on the outside before putting on a front face lock in the ring. Kaz suplexes Williams into the ropes before dropkicking him to the outside. Kaz hits a cross body over the ropes to Williams before they return to the ring again where Kaz hits a springboard dropkick. Kaz hits a ton of strikes before hitting a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall. Williams almost catches a charging Kaz in the corner with the Chaos Theory but Kaz counters with a roll-up. Kaz slingshots himself over the ropes with a DDT for another near fall. Williams hits a couple headbutts, a clothesline, and a running knee, but Kaz comes back with a springboard forearm. Williams hits a partly botched turnbuckle powerbomb, with Kaz hitting the back of his head on the bottom turnbuckle. Williams goes for a pin after a suplex but Kaz kicks out. Kaz hits a reverse Russian leg sweep, then fights out of a piledriver attempt with a back body drop. Kaz tries for an electric chair off the top but Williams fights out, rolls through, and hits the Chaos Theory for the win. I wish the title wasn’t hot shotted like this, but this was still a very good X Division title match. Match Time: 14:01     Match Rating: 7/10

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

Though this was not that great of a women’s match at all, it ended up being a bit better than what it should have been due to this being Tara’s farewell match in TNA. Tara attacks Rayne from behind and beats her on the ramp, but Rayne fights back and sends Tara into the ring. Rayne hits a knee and puts on a submission but Tara fights out. Rayne goes to the outside and sweeps out Tara’s leg, but Tara slams Rayne face first into the apron and gets a near fall in the ring. Rayne unsuccessfully tries to win with a couple roll-ups but then hits a big clothesline. Tara hits a face buster and sends Rayne into the corner before tossing her across the ring by her hair. Tara hits a suplex and puts on a front guillotine but Rayne hits some punches before kicking Tara in the side of the head. Tara hits a clothesline but Rayne fights out of a Widow’s Peak attempt. Tara hits the Widow’s Peak but the impact is so great that Rayne is sent rolling to the outside. Tara puts her back in the ring and hits a slam followed up by a top rope moonsault but only gets a 2 count. Tara goes for a second moonsault but Rayne avoids it and hits a spinning neckbreaker onto her leg for the win. After the match the crowd showed their appreciation for Tara as she left. This was an okay, short Knockouts match. Match Time: 6:31     Match Rating: 4/10

5.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: The Band(c) vs. Ink Inc.

This was a pretty poor tag team match, a sharp contrast from the very entertaining opening tag contest. Shannon Moore slaps Scott Hall in the face and they lock up, with Hall slapping Moore in the back of the head. Moore comes out of nowhere with a roll-up attempt but Hall hits a knee before sending Moore into the corner where Hall hits a dropkick. Moore fights back with a second rope dropkick and a spin kick but Hall fights out of the pin attempt. After a shove from Hall both men tag in their partners. Jesse Neal sends Kevin Nash into the corner, burying his knee in Nash’s midsection and elbowing him in the head. Neal starts to pound away but Nash comes back and chokes him with his boot. Nash hits a couple knees before tagging in Hall, who puts Neal in an abdominal stretch before doing a terrible assist in front of the ref. Neal hits a hip toss to Hall, allowing him to tag in Moore as Hall makes the tag to Nash. Moore hits a ton of offense before capping it with a cross body to Nash and tagging in Neal. Moore hits a neckbreaker to Nash but then goes after Hall, going over the ropes with a cross body. Neal accidentally spears the ref, but is all over Nash with punches. Eric Young comes down to ringside with a kendo stick. Nash hits Moore with the stick but Neal spears Nash and takes the stick. EY takes it back but Brother Ray appears on the ramp. He whacks EY with the kendo stick and goes in the ring. Neal says he’s got it now, but Ray hits him with the kendo stick and Nash crawls onto him for the win. Not a bad swerve but the match was weak. Match Time: 8:03     Match Rating: 3.5/10

6.    Chelsea vs. Ring match: Desmond Wolfe vs. Abyss

Surprisingly, this match was pretty solid and had no overbooking or interference. Abyss jumps Wolfe during his entrance, pounding away at him and sending him to the floor. Wolfe tries to throw his entrance attire into Abyss’s face but this fails as Abyss sends him into the ring. Wolfe hits a kick and a punch but just bounces off of Abyss when he attempts a cross body. The two trade some strikes before Abyss hits a couple clotheslines. Abyss tries for a chokeslam but Chelsea distracts him, allowing Wolfe to send him to the floor with a shoulder block. Wolfe hits a kick to the midsection but Abyss tries for the chokeslam again. Wolfe fights out but Abyss hits a big kick followed by a corner clothesline and a side slam for a near fall. Wolfe fights out of yet another chokeslam attempt by hitting a quick DDT. Wolfe goes to work on Abyss in the corner, hitting a big uppercut and attacking the arm. Wolfe tries for a lariat but Abyss hits a chokeslam. Abyss tries to chokeslam Chelsea, but she distracts the ref and Wolfe hits Abyss with some brass knucks. Abyss kicks out at two, then Hulks up before hitting the Black Hole Slam for the win. A pretty decent match between these two, but a bit short. Match Time: 9:06     Match Rating: 6/10

7.    Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson

This was a pretty good, solid match between these two but I feel like they could have done a bit better. It was billed as one of the main event matches of the evening and failed to fully live up to that billing, instead being more of a “good midcard match”. Anderson knees Hardy in the stomach and pounds away at him with punches and stomps before Hardy fights back. Hardy tries for a flying clothesline but Anderson avoids it and Hardy is sent to the outside. Anderson sends Hardy into the apron before rolling him back into the ring where he misses an elbow drop. Hardy hits a couple clotheslines and some more strikes but when he tries for the corner dropkick, Anderson blocks it with his foot. Anderson tries for a quick pin before continuing to pound away at Hardy with a bunch of right hands. Hardy fights out of an abdominal stretch but Anderson hits a knee for a near fall. Hardy puts his foot up as Anderson comes off the top, but Anderson catches it and hits an elbow drop. Anderson is still all over Hardy with the strikes, and puts on a second abdominal stretch. Hardy tries for a headscissors in the corner but ends up crotched on the ropes. Hardy backdrops a charging Anderson onto the entrance ramp, where he uses a chair to do the Poetry in Motion leg lariat to Anderson against the ropes. The two go back and forth in the ring with Hardy hitting some clotheslines and a neckbreaker. Hardy hits some more clotheslines and tries for a suplex, but Anderson hits a Finlay roll. Hardy fights out of the Mic Check, but Anderson sends him into the ropes and connects with his finisher. Hardy kicks out of the pin attempt and hits some kicks followed by a front suplex. Hardy hits a Twist of Fate before the two battle on the top rope. Anderson tries for a Green Bay Plunge but Hardy avoids the impact, driving Anderson face first into the mat. Hardy hits a Swanton Bomb to Anderson’s back and gets the win. Good match, but there was room for improvement. Match Time: 14:00     Match Rating: 6.5/10

8.    Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting

This ended up not being much of a match. Sting and Jarrett are brawling backstage, with Jarrett getting busted open. Sting continues the assault, focusing on Jarrett’s shoulder, as officials try to get them to move to the ring. They enter the Impact Zone where Sting slams Jarrett into the barricade and beats him down with the bat and the ring steps, just destroying his shoulder. He tosses Jeff in the ring, then hits the Scorpion Death Drop just as the bell rings for the quick win. Jarrett was stretchered out but Sting attacks again, leading Hogan to come out. This belonged on Impact, but it wasn’t terrible. Match Time: 0:11     Match Rating: N/A

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

The heavily hyped match between RVD and AJ Styles ended up not being nearly as good as wrestling fans around the world had hoped for. This was a good main event, but TNA had hyped this thing up like it was going to set the world on fire. The match begins with a very lengthy 3 minute stare down with posing, interrupted by some kick attempts and a lock up. AJ interrupts an RVD pose but gets clotheslined to the outside. AJ pulls RVD to the outside where they fight near the ramp. RVD avoids an AJ moonsault from the ramp and hits one of his own. Both men roll back into the ring when Flair distracts the ref, leading to him getting ejected from ringside, only for him to hop on commentary, which was quite distracting. AJ argues with the ref before hitting RVD with a punch and rolling into the ring. Van Dam tries to follow but Styles knocks him back into the barricade before hitting a crazy somersault senton out of the ring that came off like a leg drop. Styles goes to work on RVD in the ring, hitting a slam and a knee drop. AJ hits a series of kicks to Van Dam and chokes him against the ropes, eventually breaking. Van Dam tries to fight back but AJ lands some punches and a dropkick. Styles puts on a rear chin lock but RVD gets to his feet. AJ tries sending him into the corner but RVD hits a single leg dropkick and both men are down. Van Dam hits some clotheslines and sends AJ into the corner with a big kick before hitting a monkey flip which got a ton of height. RVD tries for the Five Star but Styles avoids it. Styles hits a springboard clothesline and a Pele kick but gets a 2 count each time. RVD averts a corner splash from Styles and hits a Northern Lights suplex before Styles gets a small package for two. RVD crotches AJ on the ropes and hits a single leg dropkick for a near fall. Styles blocks rolling thunder with his knees and spins RVD out from a torture rack into a powerbomb. AJ hits a flying forearm for yet another near fall. RVD fights out of the Styles Clash before both guys clothesline each other. RVD tries for a couple of roll-ups but to no avail. AJ jumps off the second turnbuckle with a moonsault into an inverted DDT. RVD moves out of the way to avoid the springboard 450 splash. Flair runs onto the ramp but Jay Lethal is out to stop him. Both guys trade chops before Lethal hits a low blow and puts Flair in the Figure Four. Styles tries for a superplex back in the ring but RVD knocks him off and sends him throat first into the ropes. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash for the win to retain his title. The match was not nearly as exciting as this report may suggest. It was incredibly long and had several slow parts, feeling as long as it was. People expected something truly phenomenal and all they got in the end was a little step up from their Impact match. Match Time: 24:57     Match Rating: 7/10

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 over a year now.

*All matches were contested inside the Steel Cage*

1.    Rob Van Dam vs. James Storm

This match was held to determine whose team would get the advantage in the Lethal Lockdown match later on in the evening. Despite the fact that this probably should have happened on Impact, this match was nonetheless a solid opener. As Storm makes his way down to the ring Van Dam surprises him by dropkicking the cage door into his face. Van Dam slams Storm’s head into the cage and takes the fight to him outside the ring. Van Dam hangs up Storm on the ring barricade, climbs the side of the cage, and springs off with a corkscrew leg drop. RVD continues to take the fight to Storm but Storm is able to send Van Dam’s face into the steel steps, busting him open. The two finally enter the ring and the match officially begins. RVD sends Storm into the corner where he kicks away at him and chokes him with his boot. Storm is hung up on the ropes and Van Dam hits a single leg dropkick for a near fall. RVD gets in a bit more offense before Storm comes back with a neckbreaker and puts on a long rear chin lock. RVD begins to fight out of the hold but Storm clotheslines him over the top rope and into the cage. Storm focuses the attack on RVD’s laceration and puts on another chin lock. RVD fights out, hits a spin kick, and both men are down. Both guys get up and trade punches before RVD sends Storm into the cage wall, slams him, and hits a split-legged moonsault for a near fall. Storm comes back with a jawbreaker before drinking beer and spitting it in RVD’s face. Storm hits a big DDT after this but RVD kicks out. RVD gets Storm down again and hits the Five Star Frog Splash for the win. Decent opener. Match Time: 6:41     Match Rating: 5.5/10

2.    Xscape match: Homicide vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin

What was originally scheduled as a tag match pitting the Guns against Homicide and Kendrick was changed to a 4 way escape the cage match due to Doug Williams being stuck in the UK. The winner of this match would take his place as the third man in the X Division title match. This was a fun little match but it was very short. It wasn’t really an “Xscape” because the rules were merely the first man out of the cage wins. The Guns go to work on the heels early on, preventing escape attempts and busting Kendrick open. The heels then take control after a misstep by the Guns, which is followed by Homicide hitting a belly to belly suplex on Shelley and Kendrick hitting Sabin with a boot to the face. Homicide puts Sabin in a camel clutch and Kendrick hits a running slap to Sabin’s forehead. Shelley is next to get worked over but he fights back into it with an STO/DDT combo. Sabin hits a tornado DDT but takes a neckbreaker from Homicide. Kendrick tries to escape the cage but fails before being able to fight out of the Made in Detroit from the Guns. Homicide hits Da Gringo Killa on Sabin and Kendrick sets Shelley up on the top rope, but Homicide suddenly sneaks out of the cage to get the quick win. Decent match but too short to truly amount to anything. Match Time: 5:00     Match Rating: 4.5/10

3.    Kevin Nash vs. Eric Young

Wow, what a lackluster payoff to this feud. This was pretty much a squash match, which surprised me given the way Young had been being built up. Young hits a kick to the leg and a punch to the face at the start before Nash hits a knee to the gut and a forearm to the back. Nash charges Young in the corner but Young gets his feet up, goes up top, and hits a missile dropkick. Once Nash is up, Young hits another dropkick and a cross body, pinning Nash against the cage. The ref is shoved out of the way, allowing Nash to hit a low blow before pounding away at Young. Nash beats him down with a lot of punches and a couple knees before hitting a chokeslam. Young starts to fight back with some punches but Nash big boots him, rams him face first into the cage, and hits the Jackknife powerbomb for the win. After the match, Nash announced he would partner with Scott Hall against Team 3D later on, due to Syxx-Pac no showing (why is this not surprising). This match wasn’t awful but Young came out looking very weak. Match Time: 4:52     Match Rating: 3.5/10

4.    All the Knockouts Titles on the Line: TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Beautiful People vs. TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Angelina Love and Tara

If Tara or Love pinned either of the Beautiful People, they would win the tag titles, but if either Tara or Love got pinned, whoever got the pin would be the new Knockouts singles champion. This was a crappy women’s match that was no better than anything you would see from the WWE Divas. Love spears Velvet Sky right out of the gate and hits a ton of right hands followed up by some clotheslines. Sky tags in Madison Rayne who promptly takes a slam from Love. Rayne hits a jawbreaker but Love makes the tag to Tara. Rayne gets a cheap shot and tags in Sky, but Tara get some quick offense that ends with a snap suplex. Rayne pulls Tara down from the ropes, allowing Sky to choke Tara against them. The heels do various quick tags and land some offense on Tara which includes a double dropkick, but Tara fights back with some right hands before missing a moonsault on Sky. Both girls make tags and Love starts to get an advantage but Tara gets a blind tag before hitting the Widow’s Peak on Rayne. Sky breaks up the pin attempt, followed by Lacey Von Erich hitting Tara from behind with one of the tag title belts. Rayne gets the pin to become the new Knockouts champion (UGH!). After the match Tara turned heel by attacking Angelina Love. Russo booking at its best produces the worst match of the night. Match Time: 4:45     Match Rating: 2/10

5.    TNA X Division Championship: Homicide vs. Kazarian vs. Shannon Moore

Since Doug Williams was stuck in the UK due to the volcanic ash cloud, the title was vacated and put up for grabs in this 3 way match. Moore and Kaz form an alliance early on, hitting a double hip toss to Homicide before separately connecting with leg drops. Homicide gets repeatedly slammed into the cage before the Moore/Kaz alliance breaks down after both men break up the other’s pin attempts. Moore and Kaz go for roll ups on each other before Homicide hits a dropkick. Homicide rakes Kaz’s eyes and hits an exploder suplex to Moore. Homicide chokes Kaz against the ropes and suplexes Moore, but when he tries for a second Moore hits an inverted atomic drop before placing him on the top turnbuckle. Kaz gets up there and the faces try for a double superplex, but Homicide counters and hits a double cutter to both men (though Kaz sort of botched it, landing on his feet). Kaz hits a northern lights suplex to Moore and tries to pin both of his opponents but they kick out. After some more pin attempts, Kaz hits a missile dropkick to Moore before being hit with a jawbreaker from Homicide. Homicide goes to work on both men and puts Moore on the top turnbuckle, but Moore counters a cutter attempt. Moore and Kaz walk the ropes but Moore kicks Kaz’s legs out from under him before hitting a moonsault to Homicide. Kaz then sends Moore into the cage before setting Homicide on the top turnbuckle. Homicide hip tosses Kaz off the top to the ring before breaking up Moore’s pin attempt with a flying headbutt. Homicide starts to get some offense on Moore, but Kaz breaks up a Gringo Cutter attempt, then hits a back piledriver on Homicide to win the match. Good, fast paced X Division match, though it did feel a bit rushed. Match Time: 9:11     Match Rating: 6.5/10

6.    Falls Count Anywhere St. Louis Street Fight: Team 3D vs. The Band

Just because he can, apparently, Brother Ray changes this match to a street fight after 3D makes their entrance. The new stipulation made the match a bit more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise but it still was nothing to write home about. 3D jumps The Band during their entrance and the teams brawl on the ramp. Scott Hall tries for a powerbomb but Ray counters with a back body drop. The fight then moves into the crowd where Hall and Nash get bottles smashed over them and eat a ton of punches. They then brawl back near the ringside area where The Band starts to take advantage as they send D-Von into the ring, send him into the cage wall, and isolate Ray by holding the door shut. Ray uses a chair to bust his way into the ring and 3D land a ton of offense on Hall and Nash. They hit Wassup to Hall, bring a table into the ring, then connect with the 3D to Hall through the table for the win. Short match but a bit better than expected due to the street fight stipulation. Match Time: 6:50     Match Rating: 4/10

7.    Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle

To the shock of just about everyone, this was the match of the night and an early match of the year candidate for TNA. The psychology and storytelling within this match was superb and this ended up being by far the best match in the Anderson/Angle feud. The rules of this match were that the only way to win was to escape the cage out the door, and Anderson had the key after winning it in a ladder match 2 weeks ago on Impact. Anderson wears the key around his neck as the match begins with him getting a cheap shot on Angle. Anderson hits a dropkick and tries for a quick escape, but Angle prevents it before Anderson beats at Angle’s head with the key and chain. Anderson tries to get out again but Angle hits a belly to belly suplex before stomping at Anderson in the corner. It is shown that the key was left inside the lock. Angle hits a suplex before sending Anderson into the ropes, but Anderson sends Angle into the cage wall, busting him open. Anderson slams Angle’s head against the cage repeatedly, but Angle blocks another escape attempt and slams Anderson into the cage door. Anderson launches Angle into the cage door before sending him into it again with a knee. Anderson goes up top but Angle hits a super belly to belly suplex and both men are down. Angle is up, but Anderson had unwrapped his wrist tape and uses it to choke Angle, getting him down to the ring and wrapping his legs around Angle’s body. Angle is able to fight out by getting up and hitting a back suplex and both men are down again. Both are up and trade punches before Angle hits a couple clotheslines and a back body drop. Angle sends Anderson into the corner and hits a release belly to belly suplex. Anderson counters the Angle Slam with a Green Bay Plunge, but Angle counters the Mic Check and hits 7 German suplexes in a row. Angle is about to walk out the door when he turns around and puts Anderson in the Ankle Lock. Anderson fights out and hits the Mic Check before opening the door. Angle then hits the Angle Slam before closing the door, locking it up, and tossing the key away. Anderson’s first attempt to climb the cage is thwarted, but he punches Angle and climbs the cage again. Angle follows suit and both men fight on the top rope, with Angle eventually connecting with a dangerous looking belly to back suplex off the top rope to the ring. Angle then scales the cage and hits an absolutely insane moonsault from the top of the cage, landing right on Anderson’s face. Angle has a second key and goes to unlock the door, but Anderson flips him the bird and Angle decides not to exit. Anderson then hits a low blow and a Mic Check. Anderson crawls towards the door but Angle pulls Anderson back into the middle of the ring by his ankle and puts on a long Ankle Lock. Anderson is able to flip over and send Angle into the cage before trying to escape again. Angle grabs him from behind, takes out the “Warrior” medal, and chokes Anderson out with the chain. He then spits on Anderson and stomps him in the groin before walking out of the cage for the win. Great, long cage match that was rich with storytelling and was a fitting conclusion to this feud. Match Time: 21:02     Match Rating: 8/10

8.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles(c) vs. D’Angelo Dinero

It was somewhat disappointing that this wasn’t the main event, but it was understandable considering that the Lethal Lockdown match had a much larger build to it. This was a very good title match but I felt it could have been better if given more time. They did a ton of chain wrestling early on, with each man trying to work the other’s arm. Styles hits an arm drag and tries to send Dinero into the cage, but he counters with a roll-up for a near fall. Pope hits a series of arm drags and Styles retreats to the corner. They lock up again with Styles sending Pope into the corner and hitting some chops. Pope rebounds with some quick offense, blocks an atomic drop, and hits a clothesline. AJ comes back with a shoulder block but Dinero hits a flying forearm. Pope hits some more big strikes but AJ is able to send him into the cage. Styles hits a dropkick, mugs for the crowd, then puts on a rear chin lock. Pope fights out with some punches and hits a forearm, but AJ catches him with a botched slam. Styles starts to kick and stomp away at Pope’s knee but Pope comes back with a chop. AJ pokes Dinero in the eye and goes for a springboard inverted DDT, but Pope blocks it, sends AJ into the cage, and hits a DDT. Pope starts to take it to Styles, hitting some strikes, a back body drop, an inverted atomic drop, and a shoulder block. Pope gets a powerslam for a near fall but Styles comes back and rams him into the corner. Dinero avoids a charging AJ, but AJ hits a poke to the eye and another flying forearm off the top. The two then fight on the top turnbuckle, with Pope sending AJ to the mat and hitting a diving headbutt. Styles is back up and hits a Pele for a near fall. Styles hits a backbreaker and a springboard 450 splash, but Pope kicks out. AJ dives off the top of the cage, but Pope moves out of the way and AJ eats the canvas before kicking out of a pin attempt. Pope sets AJ up for the DDE but AJ moves out of the way. Styles grabs a pen from a cameraman (yes, a pen), hits Pope in the eye with it, then hits a discus clothesline followed by a Styles Clash for the win. Very good world title match but the ending was a bit odd. Match Time: 13:50     Match Rating: 7/10

9.    Lethal Lockdown: Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Rob Van Dam, and Jeff Hardy) vs. Team Flair (Sting, Beer Money Inc., and Desmond Wolfe)

The main event was the Lethal Lockdown match, which was going strong until being marred by an overbooked ending that put the spotlight on some senior citizens. Abyss opened the match against Robert Roode with both men trading punches before Roode began kicking at Abyss’s leg. Abyss beats down Roode in one corner before sending him into another and choking him with his boot. Abyss hits a back body drop and both men unsuccessfully try to send each other into the cage. Roode rakes the eyes but Abyss sends him face first into the cage twice. Roode hits a big boot and a neckbreaker and gets on the offensive, sending Abyss into the cage. Roode stomps away at Abyss as Rob Van Dam comes out as the 3^rd entrant. RVD hits some kicks and a series of punches before hitting a monkey flip to Roode. RVD hits rolling thunder and sends Roode into the cage before Desmond Wolfe enters the match. Roode low blows Abyss and Wolfe dropkicks RVD into the cage. Roode works over Abyss while Wolfe tries to bust open RVD again. The heels send Abyss into the cage as the clock counts down and Jeff Jarrett is the 5^th entrant. Jarrett sends both heels into the cage, cracks their heads together, and sends them into the cage wall once again. Roode hits Jarrett with a powerbomb and Wolfe begins to go to work on Abyss. James Storm is out next, spits beer in Abyss’s face, lands some punches on Jarrett, and sends RVD into the cage wall. Jarrett lands a big chop and a suplex on Roode as the clock counts down. Jeff Hardy’s music hits but he is found laid out backstage with Sting standing over him (so much for Team Hogan having the “advantage”). The heels are still in control but the faces make a comeback with Jarrett sending Storm into the cage. Sting comes out as the final entrant and the roof lowers with the weapons after he enters. Wolfe grabs a cookie sheet and Beer Money grabs trash can parts while Sting holds onto his bat. The heels are dominating with Storm also nailing Jarrett with a pipe. Jarrett tries to stir a comeback by hitting everyone with a trash can but Sting nails him and RVD with the bat. Beer Money combine to send Jarrett out of the cage to the floor where they continue the beatdown. In the ring, Abyss dumps out a bag of tacks but Storm is back in there to smash a beer bottle over his head. Jeff Hardy’s music hits and he comes out to ringside, beating down Beer Money with a kendo stick. In the ring, Jarrett smashes a guitar over Wolfe’s head and RVD hits him with a Five Star Frog Splash. Abyss then chokeslams Sting onto the tacks. Hardy climbs to the roof of the cage and Beer Money follows him up. Beer Money beat down Jeff with a trash can lid and set up a table that was already on the roof. Jeff comes back and hits Roode with a Twist of Fate before laying Storm out on the table. He then sets up a ladder, also already on the roof of the cage, and climbs to the top before jumping off with a splash to Storm through the table! Ric Flair then comes out (UGH!) and starts stomping at Abyss in the ring, biting at his finger. Hulk Hogan comes out and seems ready to attack Flair, but Eric Bischoff comes out and gets between the two. He pulls out some brass knuckles, but surprisingly tosses them to Hogan. Hogan busts Flair open by punching him with the brass knucks, sends him into the cage, and punches him, leading Flair to fall on the tacks. Hogan hits Flair with a trash can before Abyss picks up Wolfe and hits him with the Black Hole Slam to get the win for his team. I really hated how Flair, Hogan, and Bischoff just had to come out to steal the spotlight from the rest of the competitors who worked hard to deliver a very good quality main event. The veterans’ involvement ended up hurting the quality of the match. Still, there were definitely a lot of enjoyable elements to it and the PPV definitely ended in a better way than Destination X. Match Time: 30:17     Match Rating: 6.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 7.5/10

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

1.    WWE Unified Tag Team Championship: ShoMiz(c) vs. John Morrison and R-Truth

This was a fun little opener but it probably should have been left off the card. Morrison and Miz start things off with Miz fighting out of a hammerlock and stomping at Morrison. Morrison hits a dropkick and a slam before tagging in R-Truth. Truth hits a top rope leg drop on Miz for a near fall and lands a kick before Big Show gets the tag. Truth tries for a cross body but Show hits a fall away slam. Show pushes Morrison off the apron and hits a chop to Truth’s chest in the corner. Morrison hits a big enzuigiri to Show on the apron before Show tags in Miz. They do some good back and forth for a bit before Miz tries for the Skull-Crushing Finale. Morrison fights out but Show hits a Knockout punch and this one’s over. Very brief opener but fun. Match Time: 3:25     Match Rating: 4/10

2.    Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

This was a pretty decent triple threat match that told a good story and was enjoyable. Orton fights off the double team assault early on and sends Rhodes to the outside with a lariat. Rhodes comes back with a dropkick and Rhodes and DiBiase pound away at Orton for a while. DiBiase hits a clothesline before him and Rhodes do a clothesline-chop block combo on Orton. Rhodes went to the top rope but DiBiase tried for a cover. Cody broke it up and the two started to argue. Cody threw Ted out and hit an Alabama Slam on Orton, but DiBiase broke up the pin. The two argued again and end up tackling each other and rolling out onto the floor. The two fought back into the ring but stopped once Orton got up. Orton back body dropped Ted before giving each man a powerslam. Ted rolled to the outside and Orton gave Cody the side backbreaker. DiBiase and Orton fought outside the ring before Cody took out Ted with a flying cross body over the ropes. Back in the ring Orton hit a double spike DDT to Cody and Ted. Orton kicked Ted out of the ring, waited a bit, then punted Cody in the head. Ted came back in and tried for Dream Street but Orton reversed it and hit the RKO for the win. A solid, entertaining match. Match Time: 9:02     Match Rating: 6/10

3.    Money in the Bank Ladder match: Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Matt Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Kane vs. Christian

Despite there being 10 competitors, this year’s edition of Money in the Bank was an awesome match that showcased the athleticism of nearly all the participants. The match began with a ton of manic brawling before McIntyre brings the first ladder into the ring. McIntyre gets up a few rungs before Hardy pushes it over and gives him the Twist of Fate. Swagger takes out all of the participants with a ladder, including Shelton who was close to getting the briefcase on another ladder. Bourne hits the diving double knees to Swagger, who was still holding the ladder. Hardy and Christian then trap Swagger inside a standing ladder by sliding in two ladders (one on each side) in between the rungs and holding Swagger in place. Hardy gets on one of the ladders but Swagger yanks it out from underneath him. Christian tries for a Killswitch to Bourne on one of the horizontal propped up ladders but Bourne kicks him off and hits a shooting star press to Christian off the ladder. Bourne tries to get the briefcase but Hardy meets him at the top and hip tosses him off the ladder to the ring. Hardy almost has the case but Swagger pushes him off the top of the ladder sending him back first into the horizontal ladder. MVP and Shelton fight for a bit, with MVP trying for a powerbomb but Shelton reversing into a hurricanrana to the outside. Kane starts to hit people with a ladder outside the ring before bringing it in the ring where he sandwiches Ziggler inside of it. The ladder gets ripped in half and Kofi tries to use both pieces as stilts as he makes his way across the ring. McIntyre thwarts him by sending him into the ropes. McIntyre and Hardy scale a ladder, with Hardy getting sent to the mat before he pushes the ladder into the ropes, resulting in McIntyre crotching himself. Hardy, Christian, and Kane fight atop 2 ladders side by side, with Hardy and Christian knocking Kane off before Christian reverses a Twist of Fate attempt with a reverse DDT off the ladder. Christian and Swagger then fight at the top of a ladder, with Swagger hitting Christian in the face with the briefcase before unhooking it after a long delay to win the match. Exciting ladder match, better than last year’s Money in the Bank. Match Time: 13:45     Match Rating: 8/10

4.    Sheamus vs. Triple H

This was a pretty good match, definitely Sheamus’s best thus far in WWE. Both men fight near the corner early on before Sheamus reverses a Pedigree attempt. Triple H is put back into the corner but fights back with a dropkick, suplex, and a knee. The two fight outside the ring with Triple H slamming Sheamus into the barricade. Back in the ring, Triple H works over Sheamus’s leg and puts on a Figure Four. Sheamus gets to the ropes before the action returns to the outside. Sheamus sends Triple H into the steps and slams him into the barricade before rolling him into the ring. Sheamus hits a couple uranage backbreakers before pounding away at Triple H. Sheamus beats him down in the corner before hitting a sledge for a near fall. Sheamus puts on a rear chin lock before getting a slam for a near fall. Sheamus continues to work over Triple H’s neck with a sleeper before Triple H gets out of it by hitting a back suplex. Triple H hits a DDT before the two trade punches. Triple H hits a high knee and a facebuster but Sheamus counters a Pedigree attempt. Sheamus tries for the crucifix powerbomb out of the corner but Triple H fights out of that and a bicycle kick attempt. Sheamus again counters the Pedigree and hits the bicycle kick, but Triple H kicks out. Triple H gets a spinebuster out of nowhere but Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus hits a second bicycle kick but when he tries for a powerbomb, Triple H comes out of nowhere with the Pedigree for the win. The wrong guy went over but still a good match. Match Time: 12:09     Match Rating: 6.5/10

5.    CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio

The stipulation was that if Rey lost, he would have to join the Straightedge Society. It’s a shame that this match got such little time given the great buildup. Mysterio gets distracted by the Straightedge Society and Punk gets the upper hand early on. Rey climbs up to but Punk takes his feet out from under him. Punk tries for a baseball slide in the corner but Mysterio avoids it and Punk crotches himself on the ring post. Outside the ring, Mysterio tries for the flip up bulldog but Punk catches him in a wheelbarrow position and slams him into the steps. Rey fights out of a rear chin lock back in the ring and hits a springboard seated senton. Punk gets a roll up for a near fall before connecting with a huge roundhouse kick. Punk tries for some pinfalls but Rey continuously kicks out before flipping off the top rope with a springboard DDT. Rey tries for the 619 but Punk catches him and tries for the Go to Sleep. Rey counters and kicks Punk in the head, but Punk avoids a frog splash attempt. Rey avoids the corner bulldog and sends Punk into the ropes but Serena and Luke Gallows distract him when he tries for the 619. Serena distracts the ref as Punk tries for the GTS but Rey sends Punk into the ropes (and into Gallows who was on the apron) before hitting the 619 and a splash for the win. A bit too short but still pretty good. Match Time: 6:31     Match Rating: 6.5/10

6.    No Holds Barred: Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon

This wasn’t really much of a match as much as it was Bret getting his revenge on Vince by beating him to a pulp. Vince comes to the ring with the entire Hart family saying that he paid them off to be lumberjacks and that Bruce Hart would be the guest referee. Bret reveals to Vince that he tipped off everyone about the whole deal and that the Hart family would indeed be on his side. Bret pounds away at Vince to start things off before Vince bails to the outside. The Hart Dynasty goes to work on Vince and nail the Hart Attack, with Tyson jumping off the top turnbuckle to the outside. Bret beats on Vince back in the ring before Vince again rolls out. He tries to go under the ring and is pulled out but he has a crowbar in his hand and the Harts back off. Bret avoids a shot with the crowbar in the ring, gets a hold of it, and clobbers Vince with it. Hart teases the Sharpshooter but picks up the crowbar again and pounds away at Vince. Bret stomps at Vince’s midsection for a bit before a chair is slid into the ring. Bret lands a seemingly endless amount of chair shots before finally locking in the Sharpshooter and forcing Vince to tap. I can’t really rate this match but it was fine for what it was, even though it dragged a little. Match Time: 11:09     Match Rating: N/A

7.    World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Edge

If it weren’t for Taker and Michaels, this match definitely would have stolen the show. Edge and Jericho do some good chain wrestling early on before Edge hits a shoulder block. Edge misses with some clotheslines before connecting with a lariat. Edge stomps at Jericho in the corner but the ref breaks it up allowing Jericho to come back with some strikes. Edge comes back with a back body drop but Jericho rolls to the outside to avoid a spear. The two fight outside the ring for a bit before Jericho sends Edge to the floor with a baseball slide out of the ring. Edge crawls back in but Jericho slingshots him throat first into the bottom rope. Jericho hit a back body drop before putting on a rear chin lock. Jericho slams Edge down to the mat before kicking away at him. Jericho charges at Edge in the corner but ends up going shoulder first into the post. Edge tries to land some offense but Jericho front suplexes him into the ropes. Edge then sends Jericho off the ring apron into the announce table before coming off the apron with a clothesline to Jericho on the outside. They return to the ring where Edge hits a front suplex off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Edge avoids a big boot and hits a top rope cross body, but Jericho rolls through with a roll-up attempt. Edge counters a Codebreaker attempt and tries for the spear, but Jericho wraps around Edge‘s back and counters into the Walls of Jericho. Edge counters with a pin attempt and moves out of the way to avoid a Lionsault. Jericho hits an enzuigiri and some punches but Edge gets an Impaler DDT for a near fall. Jericho takes Edge down and tries for a spear but Edge meets him with a big boot. Edge tries for the spear but Jericho meets him with a Codebreaker for a close 2 count. Jericho kicks away at Edge’s leg before putting on the Walls of Jericho, but he changes to a half crab to work over the ankle. Edge makes it to the ropes and counters with a small package. Jericho kicks out but Edge clotheslines him over the top rope. Jericho grabs his title and fights with Edge on the ring apron. The ref is hit and Jericho hits Edge with the title. Edge kicks out, but Jericho hits a second Codebreaker for the victory. After the match Edge set up Jericho on one announce table while standing on the other, then speared him off the table and through a ring barricade near the timekeeper’s table (this was a great spot!). Great world title match. Match Time: 15:47     Match Rating: 8/10

8.    Michelle McCool, Layla, Alicia Fox, Maryse, and Vickie Guerrero vs. Eve Torres, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, and Beth Phoenix

Yuck. Easily the worst match of the night. The faces work over Vickie in the corner for a bit before a crazy sequence ensues with everyone hitting their finishers. This includes Eve hitting an embarrassing, botched senton. McCool saves Vickie by big booting Beth, and Vickie pins Kelly after hitting multiple splashes in a row. This came after the ref botched the count on the first one so Vickie had to hit multiple splashes in a row. Horrible. Match Time: 3:26     Match Rating: 1/10

9.    WWE Championship: Batista(c) vs. John Cena

Although I would have liked to see this go a bit longer, this was still a very, very good world title match. The two lock up before Batista hits a big shoulder block, followed up by Cena getting a headlock takeover. They trade a few blows before Batista starts to pound on Cena in the corner. He works over Cena’s neck before Cena reverses a suplex attempt with a suplex of his own. Cena gets some offense before connecting with a one handed bulldog for a near fall. He tries for the Attitude Adjustment but Batista counters and hits a DDT. Batista kicks Cena in the face and puts on a rear naked choke. Cena gets up and breaks the hold but Batista knees him in the back and hits a neckbreaker. Cena fights out of another hold with a suplex before hitting some shoulder blocks and a spin out powerbomb, but when he tries for the Five Knuckle Shuffle Batista hits a spinebuster. Cena counters the Batista Bomb with an STF but Batista makes it to the ropes before connecting with a big spear. The two try a test of strength in the corner but Cena sends Batista to the mat. Cena hits a top rope Five Knuckle Shuffle before trying for the AA. Batista holds onto the ropes, Cena tries for an Alabama Slam, but Batista gets on his feet and hits a Batista Bomb. Cena kicks out and Batista tries for another but Cena counters with an AA attempt. Batista counters but Cena finally hits the AA, however Batista kicks out. Cena jumps off the top turnbuckle but Batista catches him and slams him to the mat (repeating the spot from Summerslam 2008). Batista tries for a Batista Bomb, but Cena does a sunset flip and puts on the STF. After hanging on for a while, Batista finally taps out and Cena is the new WWE Champion. Very good title match. Match Time: 13:30     Match Rating: 7.5/10

10.                   No Disqualification Career vs. Streak match: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker

Wow, what a match. Somehow these guys topped the classic bout they had at last year’s Wrestlemania. The stipulation is that Michaels must retire if he can’t end Taker’s streak and the match can only be won by pin or submission. Michaels does the rest in peace taunt early on before delivering a couple chops. Taker comes back with an attack on HBK in the corner but Michaels fights off Old School. Taker tries for Old School again and connects, but Michaels counters a chokeslam attempt and delivers a kick to the knee. Taker fights back and slams Michaels head first into the turnbuckle, but is countered when he tries for a Tombstone. Michaels avoids a clothesline and delivers an early Sweet Chin Music before going to work on Taker’s knee. He hangs Taker’s leg on the bottom rope and pounds away at it. Taker starts to make a comeback but Michaels goes back to the knee. Taker clotheslines Michaels over the top rope and teases a dive, but Michaels catches him with a shoulder on the apron. Taker counters a figure four attempt and sets up Michaels on the apron before hitting the guillotine leg drop. Michaels then puts on the figure four once Taker returns to the ring. Taker struggles for a while before turning over and putting the pressure on HBK. Michaels breaks the hold before the two trade a ton of strikes in the ring. Michaels attacks the knee but Taker responds with some big punches. Michaels hits a flying forearm but Taker chokeslams him after the kip-up. Taker tries for a Tombstone but Michaels fights out and puts on an Ankle Lock, grapevining the leg. After struggling for some time, Taker kicks at Michaels and forces him to break the hold. Michaels clotheslines Taker over the top rope to the outside and tries for a springboard cross body, but Taker catches him and Tombstones him on the floor. A medic checks on Michaels but Taker tosses him aside and throws HBK back in the ring. He tries for a pin but Michaels kicks out. Taker tries for the Last Ride but Michaels reverses at the last second with an X-Factor for a near fall. Michaels tries for the elbow drop off the top but Taker gets his knees up, hurting himself in the process. Taker tries to put on the Hell’s Gate but Michaels counters with a jackknife roll up for a near fall. Michaels connects with Sweet Chin Music but Taker kicks out at 2. He tries for a second superkick but Taker counters and hits a towering Last Ride for yet another near fall. Taker sends Michaels to the outside and rips apart the announce table. He gets Michaels up for the Last Ride but Michaels superkicks him and Taker falls onto the announce table. Michaels then hits a crazy moonsault off the top turnbuckle to Taker through the announce table. Both men return to the ring where Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music again, but Taker kicks out! Michaels tries for it again, but Taker blocks it and hits a chokeslam. He then hits a Tombstone but Michaels again kicks out! Michaels uses Taker’s body to slowly get to his feet as Taker tells him to stay down. Michaels gets up and slaps Taker across the face, followed by Taker getting infuriated and hitting another Tombstone, the third of the match, to put Michaels away. Michaels tearfully says goodbye after the match’s conclusion. What an amazing spectacle of a match. This is the greatest main event in Wrestlemania history and a fitting conclusion to Michaels’s career. Match Time: 23:59     Match Rating: 10/10

Overall PPV Rating: 9/10

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

1.    Ladder match: Brian Kendrick vs. Amazing Red vs. Daniels vs. Kazarian

The winner of this match would be the number one contender to the X Division Championship. This was a great spot fest match and a really fun way to kick off the PPV. All four guys got to shine and the match was given a good amount of time. Red and Kaz team up on the heels in the early going, sending them to the outside before Red hits a great corkscrew plancha over the top rope to the outside. Daniels, Kendrick, and Red each unsuccessfully go for the contract before Daniels gets a ladder dropkicked into his face. Red and Kendrick fall off a ladder into the corner while going for the contract. Daniels hits an STO to Kendrick before the action moves to the ringside area. A ladder is propped up from the ring to the guard rail. Kendrick gets front suplexed on the ladder before Kaz is also planted on it. Daniels stands on the ladder before Red comes off the top rope with a hurricanrana sending Daniels to the floor. Kaz and Red scale the ladder in the ring but Kendrick pushes it over. Kaz goes face first into the ladder before he hits a leg drop that sends Daniels into the ladder. Kaz again eats the ladder before Daniels props it up and slams Red on it. Kaz gets back dropped on another ladder before Kendrick unsuccessfully goes for the contract and gets tossed into a ladder in the corner. Daniels climbs the ladder but Kaz pulls him off and powerbombs him into the ladder in the corner. Kendrick takes Kaz off the other ladder with a face buster. Kaz nails a cutter on Red but eats Sliced Bread from Kendrick (no pun intended). Daniels hits a Death Valley Driver to Kendrick before 2 ladders are set up side by side in the ring. Daniels gives Red a uranage off the ladders before trapping Red and Kendrick in the rungs at the bottom. Kaz gets on the ladder and  back body drops Daniels off of it. He then knocks Kendrick off the ladder before grabbing the contract. Great opener. Match Time: 13:44     Match Rating: 8/10

2.    TNA Women’s Knockout Championship: Tara(c) vs. Daffney

Albeit short, this was a pretty decent Knockouts match.  Tara slams Daffney in the early going before hitting a standing shooting star press. Daffney sends Tara into the bottom turnbuckle before stomping away at her and hitting a body slam. Tara puts on the Tarantula submission in the corner before Daffney comes back with some snapmares. Daffney puts on a cool submission where Tara was hung up almost upside down in a figure four like position with Daffney’s legs around her head. Tara fights out with some strikes before hitting a spinebuster for a near fall. Daffney hits a kick and a Northern Lights suplex but only gets a 2 count. Tara hits a sidewalk slam before Daffney sends Tara to the outside into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Daffney tries to use the title belt but Tara ducks and hits the Widow’s Peak for the win. After the match Daffney stole Tara’s spider. Decent but short Knockouts match. Match Time: 6:45     Match Rating: 5/10

3.    Global Championship: Rob Terry(c) vs. Brutus Magnus

Kudos to whoever booked this thing. This was just a quick, fun, harmless squash. Terry sends Magnus to the outside with a clothesline before Magnus comes back in the ring with some strikes. Magnus tries for a cross body but Terry powers him down before hitting a spin kick and a chokelift spinebuster for the win. This was fun, short, and sweet so therefore it will not get a rating. Match Time: 1:26     Match Rating: N/A

4.    Ultimate X match: Generation Me vs. The Motor City Machineguns

The winner of this match would be the number one contender to the Tag Team Championship. This was just a flat out awesome match and the match of the night, just a hair ahead of the ladder match. The match begins with a flurry of double team offense before Generation Me hit a couple dropkicks and go for the X. The Guns prevent this and go to work on Jeremy. A crazy spot occurred when Max was on Sabin’s shoulders on the outside, and Shelley did a twisting cross body to Mac sending all 3 guys to the floor. The Guns go to work on Jeremy in the ring but end up eating a double dropkick from Max. Generation Me then hit a great double team move with Max hitting a dropkick and Jeremy hitting a spinning plancha. Sabin tries to pull Max off the cables and fails but Shelley gets the job done. Max hits Shelley with a spear before Jeremy connects with a moonsault. Jeremy goes for the X with Max in the ring for protection, but he gets kicked by Sabin, who then runs and jumps off of Max to spear Jeremy off the cables (yes you read that right!). All four guys end up down in the ring before attacking each other with a flurry of kicks. Max powerbombs Shelley into Jeremy’s knees in the corner. Generation Me go for More Bang for Your Buck but the Guns counter and Shelley ends up suplexing Jeremy into Max in the corner. Max eats a double sliced bread before Sabin and Jeremy fight atop the X. Sabin knocks Jeremy off, grabs the X, and the Guns win it. What a match! Match Time: 12:07     Match Rating: 8.5/10

5.    Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac vs. Kevin Nash and Eric Young

The stipulation was that if Hall and Pac won, they earned their TNA contracts but would have to leave the company if they lost. This was easily the worst match of the night, as expected from these guys. Young and Pac lock up before Pac hits a thumb to the eye and a shoulder block. Young rebounds with a Thesz press before pounding away at Pac. Pac lands a kick before tagging in Hall, who works over Young’s arm and hits a fall away slam. Pac gets the tag and sends Young to the outside before hitting an impressive plancha. Hall tags in and goes to work on Young before Young makes a comeback with a sleeper. The ref is distracted and doesn’t see that Young tagged in Nash. Pac and Hall double team Young and spray paint in his face before Nash gets the tag, shoves the ref, and then turns on Young by hitting him with a Jackknife powerbomb (who didn’t see that one coming). Young eats the pin after an X Factor from Pac and a Razor’s Edge from Hall. The swerve was very dragged out and much of the match was slow and boring. Match Time: 8:04     Match Rating: 3/10

6.    TNA X Division Championship: Doug Williams(c) vs. Shannon Moore

This was a pretty good X Division title match but it was pretty short. Williams pounds at Moore before taking him down with a side headlock. Moore fights back into it with some arm drags, an atomic drop, and a nice leg drop. Moore hits a big hurricanrana but can’t keep Williams down. Williams blocks a second hurricanrana and starts choking Moore. Moore fights out of a chancery but eats a gutwrench suplex. Moore counters the Chaos Theory but Williams hits a running knee in the corner before pounding away at Moore in the corner. Moore responds with a bulldog, leg lariat, and a dropkick before hitting a twisting moonsault, sending Williams to the outside. Moore hits a moonsault to Williams on the outside before the action returns to the ring. The ref is distracted as Williams and Moore struggle over a brick pulled out by Williams in the corner. Williams hits Moore in the face with it and gets the pin to retain his title. After the match Williams cut a great promo against the X Division high flyers, snatched a woman’s purse from ringside, and colored a bleeding Moore’s face with lipstick. Good but brief X Division match. Match Time: 6:23     Match Rating: 6/10

7.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: Matt Morgan and Hernandez(c) vs. Beer Money Inc.

This was a pretty bland, nothing tag match though it did have its moments. Hernandez and Roode lock up to start things off before Roode starts to pound away in the corner. Roode escapes a powerbomb attempt but Hernandez hits a big shoulder block. Morgan tags in and subtly taunts Hernandez (They teased tension between the two throughout the match). Morgan hits a side slam and tags in Hernandez, who takes a knee to the gut before hitting the stalling vertical suplex on Storm. Morgan tags in and slams Storm into the turnbuckle before hitting a cross body on both members of Beer Money. Hernandez gets the tag and sends Roode to the outside, but Morgan cuts Hernandez off before he can go for the dive. Beer Money take advantage of the jawing between the two and start pounding at Hernandez in the corner.  Hernandez gets crotched on the top rope and takes a double superplex. Hernandez fights out of a chinlock but falls victim to an inverted tornado DDT from Storm. Hernandez gets a slingshot shoulder block before Morgan gets the tag and cleans house. Hernandez gets another tag and connects with the dive to Roode on the outside. Roode and Hernandez argue near the ropes and Storm does the beer spit. Hernandez ducks and it hits Morgan. Hernandez then hits a Dominator for the win (they called it the Border Toss but it really wasn’t). After the match Morgan hit Hernandez with the Carbon Footprint before leaving with both belts. This was a dumb swerve to end a mediocre match. Match Time: 11:28     Match Rating: 4.5/10

8.    Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle

Surprisingly, this ended up being the longest match of the night. I actually enjoyed their match at Against All Odds more, and the match was half as long as this. The match started with a couple lockups and Angle putting on a side headlock each time. Angle fights off headlock attempts from Anderson before Anderson kicks him in the gut and applies a headlock. Angle hits a suplex to fight out before sending Anderson across the ring and hitting a back body drop. Angle hits ten punches in the corner followed up by a snap suplex. Anderson comes back with a single arm DDT and starts to work over the arm. Anderson hits a shoulder block before applying a key lock. Angle fights out of an arm bar and hits a big lariat before connecting with other clotheslines with the good arm. Anderson counters the Angle Slam and hits a standing Green Bay Plunge. Angle counters the Mic Check, hits a trio of Germans, and then connects with the Angle Slam for a near fall. Anderson escapes the Ankle Lock, then hits a low blow and the Mic Check, but Angle kicks out. The two fight atop a turnbuckle but Angle sends Anderson to the mat and hits a frog splash for a near fall. Anderson counters the Angle Slam before Angle accidentally takes out the ref. Anderson hits an Angle Slam but the ref is out. Anderson gets a chair from the audience but tosses it aside and goes to use the dog tag medal thing. Anderson wraps it around his fist but Angle ducks a punch and hits a German. Angle cuts open Anderson with the medal and pounds away at him. He then applies to Ankle Lock and Anderson eventually taps out. Anderson cuts a bizarre promo post match that just seemed awkward. Decent match, but it took a while to get going and was too long. Match Time: 17:50     Match Rating: 6/10

9.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles(c) vs. Abyss

Ah, the main event, featuring the mini Ric Flair and Abyss-a-Mania. This was a good match ruined by a horrendous ending. Abyss is all over AJ before JB can even finish with the introductions. He pounds on him in the corner before the fight spills onto the entrance ramp. AJ counters a chokeslam back in the ring and hits an enzuigiri. He hangs up Abyss in the ropes but Abyss catches Styles with a belly to belly suplex. Styles hits a few dropkicks before wedging a chair in between the turnbuckles in the corner. AJ chokes Abyss against the ropes but can’t get him up for a power slam. Abyss tries for a gorilla press but AJ fights out and hits a dropkick. Styles wraps up Abyss’s leg in the corner and goes to work on it. Styles tries for the springboard forearm but Abyss catches him and tries for a chokeslam. Styles counters, but Abyss splashes him in the corner and hits a sidewalk slam. He tries for Shock Treatment but AJ fights out and hits a Pele. Styles hits the springboard forearm and tries for the Styles Clash but Abyss catapults him into the chair in the corner. Abyss hits Shock Treatment for a near fall before the two fight on the top turnbuckle. Styles knocks Abyss to the mat and hits the Spiral Tap for a near fall. Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam for a near fall, and Ric Flair is rolled to the ring (he is in a wheelchair) by Chelsea (Desmond Wolfe’s manager). Flair sprays something in the ref’s eyes before slipping the title to AJ. AJ hits Abyss with the belt before Hulk Hogan and Earl Hebner come out. Hogan wheels Flair to the back and sends Chelsea away. Styles hits a springboard 450 splash but Abyss kicks out and starts to hulk up. He hits some right hands and big boot before chokeslamming Styles through the middle of the ring. Hebner calls for the bell and I guess it’s a no contest. Flair returns to the ring but Hogan sprays him in the face with the mace. Desmond Wolfe comes down to the ring and also gets maced, trips over Flair, and falls into the hole made by Abyss’s chokeslam. The faces celebrate in the ring despite the match being a no contest. Yes, you just read all of that 100% correctly. It’s a shame this all had to happen as this match was going along so well. Match Time: 15:06     Match Rating: 5.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 7.5/10

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

1.    Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Morrison (John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Finlay, and Shelton Benjamin) vs. Team Miz (The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus)

The night kicked off with the first Survivor Series elimination match as Team Morrison took on Team Miz. While it ran a bit too long and wasn’t the greatest match of its kind, it was still a fun opener. In the first few minutes, Bourne was mostly getting worked over by Swagger and Ziggler but gets the hot tag to Matt Hardy. Hardy and Bourne hit simultaneous second rope elbows to Ziggler’s head before Hardy connects with a Side Effect. Bourne hits a Shooting Star Press and eliminates Ziggler but afterward is instantly hit with a double arm DDT from McIntyre and eliminated. A couple minutes later Sheamus hits a big boot to Finlay to quickly eliminate him after a long staredown.  Hardy then gets worked over for a little while by all of Team Miz before getting the hot tag to Morrison. Morrison hits a springboard enzuigiri to Swagger but the attempted pin is broken up. He shortly after hits Starship Pain to eliminate Swagger.  Miz and Morrison go at it for a bit with Miz hitting a top rope double ax handle, but Shelton Benjamin gets tagged in. Benjamin hits Miz with a flurry of high flying offense and a couple suplexes, but is eliminated following a headbutt from Sheamus and a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz. Hardy then fights with McIntyre and hits a second rope leg drop for a near fall, but gets eliminated after he misses a moonsault and McIntyre hits his double arm DDT. Morrison then does some back and forth with Sheamus for a while, but McIntyre and Miz beat on Morrison for a little while the ref’s back was turned. Morrison goes for his springboard enzuigiri but Sheamus counters with a kick. Sheamus then hits his running powerbomb on Morrison and Team Miz picks up the win, with Miz, McIntyre, and Sheamus being the survivors. This was a very good opener and did a great job establishing Sheamus and McIntyre, who needed this win badly. Match Time: 20:55    Match Rating: 6.5/10

2.    Batista vs. Rey Mysterio

After all of the hype, this was pretty much just a squash match. It was pretty entertaining for a Batista match but it was far too short. This match served its purpose to establish Batista as a monster heel, but it wasn’t what WWE would have hoped as Survivor Series took place in Batista’s hometown of Washington D.C., where he is always cheered. Mysterio is able to get some offense early on with a bunch of kicks but Batista rebounds with a big lariat. Mysterio gets momentum again and goes for the 619 but Batista blocks it. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Rey counters with a hurricanrana that sends Batista outside the ring and then hits a baseball slide to send Batista into the ring barricade. Mysterio hits the 619 and a seated senton before going for a frog splash, but Batista blocks it and then hits a spear. Batista then hits a spinebuster before hitting 3 consecutive Batista Bombs, causing the ref to stop the match and award Batista the win. After the match Batista gave Rey a spinebuster on a chair. This was a solid match but I just wish it had gone longer. Match Time: 6:49      Match Rating: 5/10

3.    Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Orton (Randy Orton, Legacy, CM Punk, and William Regal) vs. Team Kingston (Kofi Kingston, Christian, R-Truth, MVP and Mark Henry)

This was definitely the best Survivor Series elimination match of the night and the best match of its kind since Team Orton vs. Team Triple H back in 2004. Henry is thankfully quickly eliminated within the first minute after an RKO from Orton. A couple minutes later, R-Truth is distracted and falls victim to a Go to Sleep from Punk and is eliminated. DiBiase then went to work on Christian by hitting a top rope double stomp and a scoop slam. Both men went for their finishers and were denied, but Christian leaps off the top rope into a modified sunset flip powerbomb to eliminate DiBiase. Regal enters and starts brawling with Christian, who quickly gets the tag to Kingston. Regal this Kingston with an exploder suplex but MVP comes out of nowhere with the Drive-By kick to eliminate Regal. Rhodes goes to work on Christian, locking in a couple body-scissors, but Christian fights out and tags in MVP, who hits a series of clotheslines and an elbow drop. MVP is then distracted by Orton, allowing Rhodes to hit Cross Rhodes and eliminate him. Christian soon after hits the Killswitch to Rhodes for another elimination and it is now 2 on 2. Christian and Orton do some great back and forth for a while before Christian counters the RKO with a Killswitch, but the pin is broken up by Punk. Christian charges Orton in the corner, but hits the ringpost and is then caught with an RKO and is eliminated.Kingston and Punk then go at it, with both men trying for their finishers before Punk takes control with leg locks on Kingston’s neck and midsection. Kingston goes for a splash but Punk moves out of the way before hitting a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Both men fight on the top rope and Kingston is able to knock Punk off and connects with a huge cross body for a near fall. Punk tries for a victory roll on Kingston, but Kofi counters it into a roll-up of his own and Punk is out. Orton then charges the ring and is immediately caught with the Trouble in Paradise and Kingston wins! Kingston is the sole survivor and becomes elevated to main event status with this huge victory. This was a very good Survivor Series elimination match, mostly due to the great chemistry between Kingston and Punk. Match Time: 20:50       Match Rating: 7.5/10

4.    World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker(c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Big Show

Many people were unsure of this match going in, but this ended up overdelivering and was a very enjoyable world title match. Jericho and Big Show team up against Undertaker in the early going, but thankfully this only lasts for a few minutes. Jericho hits Taker in the head with a mic outside the ring but Taker fights back by driving Big Show into the ring post and hits Jericho with a big right hand as Jericho tried for a move off the top turnbuckle. Taker tries for Old School but Jericho trips him up on the top rope and soon puts on the Walls of Jericho. Big Show reenters the match and chokeslams Jericho. He tries to chokeslam Taker, but Taker counters with a DDT. Jericho tries for a pin on each man but is unsuccessful. Taker and Big Show both try for a chokeslam, but Jericho smashes Show in the head with the world title belt. Taker hits a big boot and tries for the Last Ride, but Jericho has the belt again and hits Taker in the head. Jericho tries for a Tombstone and taker counter swith an attempt of his own, but Show catches both guys with Knockout punches. He tries to chokeslam Taker, but Taker counters with Hell’s Gate and Big Show spits up some blood before submitting. Very entertaining title match that was much better than expected. Match Time: 13:39       Match Rating: 7/10

5.    Divas Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Mickie (Mickie James, Melina, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, and Eve) vs. Team Michelle (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, Layla and Jillian)

To provide a break in between the two title matches, we got the Divas Survivor Series elimination match. Much of the first half of the match consisted of very quick eliminations out of nowhere. Layla is out after a leg drop from Kelly and Gail is eliminated after a Faith Breaker from McCool. Eve hits a partially botched sunset flip on Jillian for an elimination as well. Phoenix then hits the Glam Slam on both Eve and Kelly to quickly dispose of them. Mickie enters and catches Beth with a crucifix roll-up for yet another elimination. All of these eliminations really did happen this quickly. Alicia hits a Northern Lights suplex, but Mickie hits a big splash and Fox is out. Mickie then did some good work with McCool for a bit, with McCool hitting a series of stomps and leg drops before Melina gets tagged in. Melina pounds on McCool before hitting a sunset flip and Team Mickie wins with the survivors being Mickie and Melina. The match got better once it was down to 2 on 2 but the first half was fairly sloppy. Match Time: 10:40      Match Rating: 4/10

6.    WWE Championship: John Cena(c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

The main event started off with a bang with Michaels hitting Sweet Chin Music on his DX partner Triple H just after the bell. Michaels and Cena did some great back and forth work for a bit culminating in Michaels leaping over the ropes with a cross body on Cena on the outside. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Triple H is back up and breaks it up. Triple H then hits a spinebuster to Michaels through the announce table. Triple H then goes to work on Cena in the ring, hitting a spinebuster and neckbreaker for a near fall. He goes for the Pedigree, but Cena catapults him into the corner. Cena hits his series of moves on Triple H and the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but HBK breaks up an AA attempt by sending Cena into the ringpost. Triple H and HBK then duke it out in the ring, with Michaels hitting some chops and atomic drops before Triple H comes back with a high knee and a facebuster. Michaels hits his flying forearm, but kips up right into a spinebuster from Triple H. Michaels goes for a flying elbow on Triple H, but Cena crotches him on the turnbuckle. Cena tries for his top rope leg drop, but Triple H moves out of the way. HBK then hits the elbow on Cena but is sent to the outside by Triple H. Cena puts the STF on Triple H, but HBK breaks it up by putting the Crippler Crossface on Cena. Cena fights out and puts on the STF but Michaels reaches the ropes. HBK hits Sweet Chin Music on both of his opponents before collapsing, but Triple H falls on Cena for a near fall. Cena catches Triple H with the AA but can’t initially make the cover. Minutes later, a wild ending sequence ensues with everyone trying to hit their finisher. Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music on Triple H, but Cena hits the AA to HBK on top of Triple H before covering The Game for the win. A great main event to close out an excellent show. Match Time: 21:14        Match Rating: 8/10

Overall PPV Rating: 8.25/10

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