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.    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.    Ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship: Amazing Red(c) vs. Suicide vs. Homicide vs. Daniels vs. Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin

Wow. Talk about a way to kick off a PPV. What an amazing match for TNA to have as the opener to this show. Yes it was a spotfest but it was a very fun and jaw-dropping spotfest. The Guns replace D’Angelo Dinero because he had to leave due to a family emergency. Only a couple minutes in Red hits an amazing (no pun intended) hurricanrana to Daniels off the top turnbuckle which sends Daniels onto everyone else outside the ring. Homicide is one of the first to go for the title but Suicide springboards off the ropes to pull him down. The Guns do many of their double team moves throughout, including a nice doomsday device missile dropkick and a spot where Sabin did the giant swing to Suicide followed by a dropkick from Shelley. One of the most memorable spots for me was when Red was dangling from the X and Suicide did a springboard dropkick to him, resulting in Red falling a long distance to the ring. There was also a unique tower of doom spot where Red hits a powerbomb to Sabin while Sabin hits a release suplex to Suicide, who is able to dropkick Daniels while falling to the mat. The men also are able to connect with their finishers, which includes Red hitting a corkscrew leg drop, Daniels hitting the BME, and Suicide hitting the Suicide Solution. Eventually, Daniels, Suicide, and Red climb to the top of the structure: the X scaffold holding the red ropes in place. All 3 men brawl atop the structure and both Daniels and suicide tease suplexes to each other. Daniels climbs down through the scaffold and onto the ropes, then hits an absolutely stunning and dangerous looking release suplex to Suicide off the structure, resulting in both men crashing to the ring. The Guns then try to climb across the ropes to get to the title, but Red crawls through the scaffold and knocks off Shelley before grabbing the title to win the match. I have to catch my breath now. Match Rating: 8.5/10

2.    TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship: Sarita and Taylor Wilde(c) vs. The Beautiful People

Lacey Von Erich’s attempts at seducing the referees fail as she is ejected from ringside before the start of the match. This was for the most part the same fun match these two teams had at the last PPV but it was even shorter than that match. Both teams work each other over with hot tags and double team moves for a couple minutes before Sarita takes out Velvet Sky with a missile dropkick. With Wilde locking her hands around Madison Rayne’s waist, Sarita hits a dropkick to Rayne immediately followed by a German suplex into a bridge pin from Wilde, and the faces retain their titles. I feel that these belts should be on The Beautiful People and that this match shouldn’t have been on the card, but we can’t always get what we want. Match Rating: 3/10

3.    TNA Legends Championship: Kevin Nash(c) vs. Eric Young vs. Hernandez

This match really surprised me and ended up being probably Nash’s best match of the year and a pretty fun match in its own right. They told a good story with Hernandez looking like the big power guy who could take on anyone and Nash and Young staying allied to wear down the (face) big man. They use a lot of punches and kicks to keep Super Mex down while Hernandez went after the heels with his power moves. Young counters a suplex from Hernandez into one of his own, which is impressive considering the size difference between the two. Hernandez also impressed for a guy his size with some high flying moves such as a diving double clothesline, a suicide dive over the ropes onto Young, and a big missile dropkick to Nash. Late in the match, Nash big boots Super Mex and goes for the Jackknife Powerbomb, but Young throws Hernandez headfirst into Nash’s balls before pinning Nash to become the Legends Champion. I really liked the ending and thought it came off very well and this was a decent match. Match Rating: 5.5/10

4.    Full Metal Mayhem for the TNA and IWGP World Tag Team Championship: Booker T and Scott Steiner(TNA champions) vs. The British Invasion(IWGP champions) vs. Team 3D vs. Beer Money Inc.

Surprisingly, though it had its spotty moments, this match was not a complete nonsensical spotfest. The way they set this match up was that one of each title was hung on the steel X scaffold from the Ultimate X match. The match starts out with the Mafia and Beer Money accepting British Invasion’s earlier backstage proposal and ganging up on Team 3D. Eventually this breaks apart with 3D fighting the Mafia and Beer Money fighting the Brits. Steiner uses a ladder to work over Devon’s shoulder while Beer Money sends Doug Williams into a chair set up in a corner of the ring. Steiner chokes out Devon while Beer Money hit the DWI to Booker T, who is later seen outside the ring and is carted off on a stretcher. Meanwhile, Steiner chokes out Devon with an extension cord before going in the ring to clean house by belly to belly suplexing everyone. He then hits a very impressive Frankensteiner to Williams. I must say, Steiner really worked hard in this match and turned in a great performance. 3D eventually works their way back into by hitting chair shots to everyone, which leads to Ray giving Zakk Wylde a chair at ringside and letting him hit Magnus. Williams gets chokeslammed through a table before 3D gives simultaneous chokeslams through separate tables to each of Beer Money. Steiner scales a ladder to go for the TNA titles but 3D hits a dual powerbomb to him off the ladder through a table. Ray and Devon then climb the ladder to get the IWGP belt but Rhino charges the ring and hits both men with chair shots. Devon is able to hang onto the title as he falls off the ladder so Team 3D are the new IWGP Tag Team Champions. This was likely done because NJPW is very upset with TNA’s treatment of the belts and many in Japan already considered 3D to still be the champions. Anyway, the match continues with Beer Money hitting a nasty looking suplex off two side-by-side ladders to Williams before being met with chair shots from Magnus. Storm hits a sunset-flip powerbomb to Magnus off a ladder but takes a chair shot from Williams. Roode and Williams fight atop the ladder, with Roode getting the upper hand, but Rob Terry enters the ring and picks up Roode before press slamming him over the top rope through a table outside the ring. He then gives Williams a boost up to allow The British Invasion to become the TNA World Tag Team Champions to end the match. I was pleased with the outcome and the match was just awesome. Match Rating: 7/10

5.    TNA Women’s Knockout Championship: ODB(c) vs. Tara vs. Awesome Kong

This match was a mild disappointment after starting off so promisingly. Great action between all three ladies that included Kong hitting a double splash to ODB and Tara, Tara putting a tarantula submission hold on ODB around the ropes, and Tara hitting a moonsault to ODB for a near-fall. They did the short-lived alliances between ODB and Tara, Kong looking like the dominant heel, and all that good stuff and this looked to be one of the best women’s matches in a very long time. Unfortunately, it got hurt by a spot in the middle where Tara, while outside the ring, brawled with a “fan” revealed after the show to be Kim Couture, and she had to go to the back. This left the crowd silent as ODB basically had a one on one match with Kong. They did some okay back and forth but not nearly as good as what was going on with Tara in the ring. ODB hits a nice samoan drop for a near fall before Tara comes back to the ring. Kong tosses her out and hits a top rope splash to ODB, but Tara breaks the pin up. Kong again gets rid of Tara before hitting ODB with an Implant Buster for a near fall. Raisha Saeed then comes to ringside to give Kong a chair, but Kong doesn’t want it and keeps kicking it away. Kong goes for a second Implant Buster but ODB counters into a bulldog on the chair before covering Kong to retain her title. A decent women’s match but it could have been better. Match Rating: 5.5/10

6.    Submission match: Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley

This match greatly underdelivered and ended up being very disappointing. It started off very good with a lot of back and forth action from Joe and Lashley that included many power moves. Lashley hits a nice spinebuster to Joe and also at one point in the match counters an abdominal stretch with a solid hip toss. Joe did some cool things such as a powerslam and a suicide dive early on. Unfortunately, much of this match consisted of Joe and Lashley putting on various armbars and leglocks and the whole thing felt rushed as well. Just after hitting the 8 minute mark, Joe apparently passes out while Lashley has Joe in some kind of armbar/neck hold combination, resulting in Lashley winning the match. The finish was poor and Joe ends up getting really hurt by this match. Disappointing. Match Rating: 4/10

7.    Monster’s Ball: Mick Foley vs. Abyss w/ Special Guest Referee Dr. Stevie

Considered by some to be a dream match come true, this hardcore match was not quite as good as it could have been but it was still fairly enjoyable. Only a couple minutes in, Foley and Abyss brawl on the side of a steel structure on the entrance stage, which ends with Foley knocking Abyss off, sending him through part of the stage. This looks cool until we are shown that he landed on cardboard. Foley then dives onto Abyss with the barbed wire bat before walking back to the ring. Abyss then returns to the ring where he and Foley brawl with trash cans and a ton of barbed wire. Abyss drags the guardrail closer to the ring and lines up a barbed wire board across the rail and the ring apron. Abyss irish whips Foley into a barbed wire board in the corner, but goes into the barbed wire himself when Foley moves out of the way as Abyss charges at him. Abyss then gets sandwiched in between two barbed wire boards and is shown bleeding from the arm and the face. Foley then dumps tacks out in the ring and Abyss goes to chokeslam him on them, but Stevie tells him that if he does, he will be disqualified (a stipulation was that Abyss couldn’t use thumbtacks). Abyss hits a Torture rack backbreaker to Stevie before Daffney comes down to the ring and hands Foley a…….taser. Ugh. This time, there is an explosion when the taser is used on Abyss. Another ref comes down to the ring, botches the attempted pinfall, and Abyss kicks out. An insane spot then occurs when Abyss chokeslams Daffney through that barbed wire board set up earlier. He then gives Stevie a black hole slam on the tacks before chokeslamming Foley on another barbed wire board. Abyss then drags Stevie over to Foley and uses Stevie’s hand to count the pinfall. Good hardcore match but not quite as brutal as what people expected. Match Rating: 6.5/10

8.    Kurt Angle vs. Matt Morgan

This match was actually a very pleasant surprise. It started off somewhat slow and had me questioning how exactly they were going to book this thing, but it ended up being a very entertaining “what do I gotta do to beat this guy” match. Morgan hits many rapid fire elbows to Angle early on before the two brawl outside the ring. Morgan misses a Carbon Footprint and gets caught in a Figure Four from Angle. Morgan eventually turns over on his back and the hold is broken when Angle reaches the ropes. He later hits a big fall away slam and chokeslam to Angle for near falls, but Angle retaliates with three big German suplexes. He goes for the Angle Slam, but Morgan counters and hits the Carbon Footprint for a near fall. Morgan then misses a splash in the corner and gets caught with an Angle Slam, but kicks out. Angle then applies the Ankle Lock again but Morgan powers out. Morgan then hits a Hellevator for another near fall, then goes for a Tombstone Piledriver, but Angle rolls through and applies a third Ankle Lock. Morgan powers out yet again but is caught with a second Angle Slam. Rather than going for the pin, Angle hits a tope rope splash, but Morgan again kicks out. Morgan then has Angle on his shoulders, but Angle gets out of hit and gets the win with a victory roll roll-up. I didn’t mind the finish and the match told a great story and was highly enjoyable. Match Rating: 7/10

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

After doing so much right on this PPV, TNA ends the night on a sour note. The big confrontation between Styles and Sting was totally lackluster and disappointed greatly. For much of the first 5-10 minutes of the match, all the two did was brief headlocks and lockups before pausing to mug for the camera. The match finally starts to heat up when Styles dropkicks Sting, sending him out of the ring before Styles dives off the apron and crashes into the guardrail. The two then brawl briefly outside the ring before heading back into the ring, where Sting counters a Tombstone attempt from Styles with one of his own for a near fall. Styles hits a nice springboard elbow before a series of counters ends with Sting hitting the Scorpion Death Drop. Sting then splashes AJ in the corner before connecting again with the SDD for a near fall. After again briefly fighting in the ringside area, Styles hits a Pele kick to Sting on the ring apron before hitting a springboard splash for the 1-2-3 to retain his title. Really? That’s it? An anticlimactic finish out of no where? Anyway, Sting makes a speech after the match, where he basically answers those inquiring about the continuation of his career with, “I don’t know”. This lackluster match was the main event to TNA’s biggest show of the year. The company still hasn’t figured out a way to end a PPV well.  Match Rating: 5/10

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 for roughly a year now as well.