Amazing Red vs. Brian Kendrick (X-Division Title): So Red's mystery opponent is none other than (The) Brian Kendrick. I would say that was a great acquisition by TNA...if Kendrick can become more than a mat wrestler. To me, it had a feel of a cruiserweight match, but only Red was pulling off the dazzling moves. Kendrick had be the "ground-the-other-guy-by-taking-out-his-legs" dude, and it really slowed down the pace of the match too much for me. As much as I wanted it, there was no point in the match where I thought Kendrick would win. On the plus side, the finish was strong. **1/2
Sean Morley vs. Daniels: So this feud basically started when Morley came down to the ring to cut a promo saying he was now a film director (using innuendos to say he was in the porn business); Daniels basically hates that Morley is all entertainment and wants TNA to focus on wrestling. OK.... The Artist Formerly Known as Val Venis had to win here to gain any credibility. Morley looked rusty in the ring (and nearly slipped on the top rope at the end), and Daniels pretty much carried the match. The two never really clicked, in my view. *3/4
Tara vs. ODB (2 out of 3 Falls; Knockouts Title): And ladies and gentlemen, this is how you "WWE-ize" a title and make the belt that much more worthless. Not only did the last couple of months produce multiple abominations between these two, but Tara even took the match in STRAIGHT FALLS...as in 2-0. Why in the bloody hell did Tara lose the belt in the first place? The storyline, to me, has been nothing short of terrible. The match produced some nice moments, but still, this was easily the Trash of the Night. *
Matt Morgan & Hernandez vs. Brutus Magnus & Doug Williams (Tag Team Titles): This was a well-done match that showcased the power of "Morgan-dez" (OK, that was horrible; I'll stop combining names for now). Morgan and Hernandez win the titles, which is a good thing. The duo needed to win to solidify themselves as a bigger threat in the company. The crowd seemed to like this one, and frankly, I think this is about the best rating they would have gotten from me tonight. **1/2
Desmond Wolfe vs. D'Angelo Dinero: This was fun to watch, and it's a shame that this apparently will be the end of the road between these two. Wolfe showcased his mastery of holds and wrestling, which I liked. I also approved of the finish because it showcases how deadly that lariat is. That clothesline has a lot of impact (no pun intended), and it comes out of nowhere. ***
James Storm & Robert Roode vs. Kevin Nash & Syxx-Pac: So basically, the reason for this match started with a backstage attack and that earns guys like Nash, Hall, and Waltman a chance to participate in a PPV match? Lovely.... I'm glad Waltman replaced Hall, because otherwise the rating would have probably been VERY ugly. The finish was quite bizarre, as Hall comes down the ramp, ends up punching a fan -- distracting Waltman -- and then Nash gets superkicked to lose the match. I figure as long as Hall doesn't wrestle, we're good. I feared Hall would fall down when coming to the ring. *1/2
Mr. Anderson vs. Abyss: MIIIIIISSSSSTTEEERRRRRR...ANDDERRRSSOOONNNN! Excellent mic skills as usual as Ken Anderson debuts in TNA as the "major acquisition." It was clear who was winning here. Anderson cheats to win and that loses points in my ratings system. Not surprised, but the finish still was not to my liking. Heck, the entire match was just so-so. *1/4
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle (World Title): This was the Match of the Night, but let's be honest, was there any other match that would take this honor? More big moves were hit in their free TV match, and the finish just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The crowd liked it, but they were not going bonkers like I've seen in previous PPVs. I must admit that this match had a great shot to eclipse their 1/4/10 match had it not been for the finish. I look forward to seeing a heel AJ Styles in 2010. ***3/4
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MVPs: AJ Styles and Kurt Angle produce another great match to cement AJ as the next great world champion.
Other Notes: The first things I saw:
(1) Hogan and Bischoff brought back the 4-sided ring. Eh. I like the 6-sided ring better because that was how they managed to separate themselves from WWE and other promotions. The fan's reaction ("We want six sides!") was awesome.
(2) THEY HAVE THE RAMP LIKE WHEN I WATCHED WCW IN THE 1990s! EPIC WIN FOR THAT!
If not for AJ/Angle, the rating for this PPV would have been low. The other matches left something to be desired -- even the X-Division Match was not the greatest. Your call on if you want to see the PPV, but I'd just try to find AJ/Angle on the internet and forget about the rest.
Overall Rating: **1/2
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