-Just something random I got off Netflix.
-Best Knockouts Match: Alissa Flash VS Sarita
-Flash walks like she's on sedatives during her entrance. She tells the ring announcer that she'd like to be referred to as "The Future Legend". This is still during the "six sided ring with sponsor logos on the mat" period. Flash spits her gum on Sarita and gets the early jump, but Sarita quickly turns the tide, knocks Flash outside, and hits a big dive for a "TNA" chant. Flash regains control by ramming Sarita's shoulder into the ringpost, then slamming her on the floor. Back in, Flash hits another slam for two. Flash beats Sarita down in the corner. Sarita climbs the turnbuckles off a whip, and hits a cross-body off the top for two.
Sarita comes back with a couple kicks, then quickly slaps on a cross-armbreaker. Flash gets out, and hits a curb stomp for two. Sarita tries to mount a comeback, but gets caught and wheelbarrowed backwards into the turnbuckles for two. Flash goes for another move, but Sarita counters into a victory roll for the pin. Flash hits a modified Michinoku Driver, just because. This was good and certainly on a different level than the WWE Divas, but not "match of the year" good. Not a particularly strong debut for Sarita.
-Video recaps Kurt Angle & AJ Styles going from stablemates to rivals and now engaged in the war between the Main Event Mafia & the TNA Frontline.
-Best iMPACT! Match: Kurt Angle VS AJ Styles [Tables Match]
-They trade wristlocks to start. Styles gets Angle running, and hits a nice dropkick to send Kurt outside. Angle sets AJ on the top rope and tries to shove him off, but Styles uses his feet to hook Angle's armpits and take him over, then Styles hits a flying forearm off the apron. Styles GETS THE TABLE, but Angle rolls back into the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from break, Styles hits some punches, but runs into an overhead throw. Angle gets the table, and slides it into the ring. Angle slams AJ's face onto the flat table. Angle sets the table up and tries to set him up top, but Styles fights him off. Kurt goes for a German suplex, but AJ grabs the table and tips it over to block. They slug it out, and Styles crotches Angle on the edge of the table. Styles slugs Angle down, and hits a kneedrop to the forehead. Styles hits a springboard flying forearm, and preps the table. Angle fights off a Styles Clash and goes for an Alabama Slam. Styles rolls out into a sunset flip, which Angle rolls through and applies the ankle lock. Styles gets out, and hits the Pele Kick.
Styles sets Angle on the table, and goes up top. Angle gets up and goes for the running belly-to-belly. Styles fights him off and sends Angle back onto the table. Styles flies at Angle who moves, then takes advantage when Styles has to pause to prevent himself from going through the table, and hits an Angle Slam through the table for the win. This was also pretty good, but not MOTY caliber.
-Angle beats on Styles and uses a chair to try and break his ankle before applying the ankle lock.
-Video recaps the formation of the Main Event Mafia and the internal fighting between Sting & Kurt Angle.
-JB gets some predictions from a few fans.
-Grudge Match of the Year: Kurt Angle VS TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting [Empty Arena Match]
-I have to say, wrestlers making their full entrances to an empty arena looks really goofy. Sting wins a slugfest, then clotheslines Angle out over the top before yelling "I'm gonna kill you!". They promptly go into the stands, where Angle lands several punches to the head. They take turns throwing each other into a wall, then walk up some steps. Sting dumps Angle a floor down to the concrete. Damn, Angle is nuts. Angle shrugs it off, charges at Sting with a trash container, and pounds away. They make their way back to ringside, where Sting misses a Stinger Splash and hits the guardrail, then takes a kick to the nuts.
Angle grabs a chair and talks shit, but Sting counters and hits a chairshot. Angle begs off, then starts calling Sting a "bitch" and begs Sting to hit him when Kevin Nash shows up. Nash prevents a chairshot and tries to talke the two into making up. They shake hands, but then Angle spits in Sting's face, and they fight some more before being broken up by security. This was pretty bad and the finish completely served no purpose.
-Now we're into a countdown of the Top 5 matches of the year.
-Video recaps the Angle/Jarrett feud leading up to their second match at Genesis.
-#5: Kurt Angle VS Jeff Jarrett [No-DQ Grudge Match]
-JJ gets the early jump. Angle comes back with a VICIOUS...rear chinlock. JJ counters with a low blow, followed by an electric chair drop. JJ clotheslines Angle out over the top as a split screen shows a pissed-off Rhino (who was jumped by the MEM before the PPV) throwing stuff around in the lockerroom. Outside the ring, JJ whips Angle into the guardrail, grabs a fan's beer, and throws that into Angle's face. Angle comes back, knocking JJ off the apron into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Angle hits a suplex for two. Angle adds some stomps to the face, and a backbreaker for two.
Angle goes back to the chinlock. JJ gets out, but Angle quickly hits an overhead throw for two. Angle goes back to the chinlock. JJ fights out, then counters an Angle Slam into an armdrag, then backdrops Angle over the top. Jarrett almost breaks his neck trying a dive over the ropes. Angle throws JJ into the broadcast booth, then grabs the ring bell. Angle cracks JJ with a STIFF shot using the edge of the bell. JJ is busted open, as well he should be.
Angle works on the open wound with punches and a kick. JJ hits a desperation DDT on the entrance ramp, and Angle's opened up too. They fight on the stage, and Angle hits an Angle Slam off the stage, through a table. Angle slowly crawls to the ring, and Jarrett follows. Back in, they do what would now be the "boo-yay" punch exchange. JJ wins that, and hits a shitty version of a Pedigree, which Tenay calls a DDT, lest they get sued. Jarrett goes for The Stroke, but Angle rolls through and gets the ankle lock. Jarrett rolls through that to counter, and Angle gets pissed, grabbing a chair.
Jarrett ducks a chairshot, hits a dropkick to send the chair into Angle's face, and then hits The Stroke for two. JJ goes for a superplex, but Angle fights out, shoves JJ to the mat, and hits a missile dropkick. Angle hits the Angle Slam for two. JJ counters the ankle lock, then avoids a charge, and Angle cracks his shoulder into the ringpost. Jarrett grabs the guitar for El Kabong, but Angle kicks him in the nuts to block. Angle grabs the guitar, but can't decide between that and the chair. He asks the crowd, which picks the guitar, so he flips them off and cracks Jarrett in the head with the chair for two.
Angle goes after the ref, then ducks an enziguiri attempt and applies the anklelock again. Jarrett hangs on for an impossibly long time, then counters into a rollup for two. Jarrett counters another Angle Slam attempt into a DDT. Jeff grabs the guitar, but the handle breaks off. Real quality work on those guitars. Jarrett cracks Angle in the face with the chair instead, but can't make the cover becuase of the injured ankle. Jarrett finally gets the cover, but puts himself in perfect position for Angle to counter and get the pin. Really good match, but that was a really weak finish for a blood feud match.
-#4: X-Division Championship: Amazing Red [c] (w/Don West) VS Chris Sabin VS Alex Shelley VS Suicide VS Homicide VS Christopher Daniels [Ultimate X]
-This is the Bound for Glory opener. IIRC, it's Kazarian in the Suicide gimmick. Story is Don West put Red's title on the line here, which Red isn't happy about. Total clusterfuck (duh), and everyone ends up on the floor three minutes in. Daniels is the first to go for the belt, but Red blocks him and hurricaranas him off the top, to everyone else on the floor. Back in, Sabin gets Red into the GIANT SWING and Shelley hits Red with a dropkick. While everyone is distracted, Homicide almost gets to the belt, but Suicide springboards to the cable to cut him off, so Homicide hits an Ace Crusher off the cables. That reminds me of someone posting on the DVDVR board that they wanted Homicide to say "I'm gonna' kill you" and Suicide to respond "please do".
The Guns wipe out Homicide, then Daniels with a Doomsday dropkick. Red goes up, but he gets caught by the Guns. Red fights them off, forcing Sabin to accidentally dropkick Shelley, then hitting Sabin with an Asai DDT. Homicide gets in with a pumphandle suplex on Suicide, then a hangman's neckbreaker on Red. Homicide goes after the belt, but is pulled down right into a DVD by Daniels, who then turns into a hurricrana by Red. Red climbs, then blatantly calls for Daniels to cut him off. Red kicks Daniels away, but gets knocked off the cables by Suicide, who is then hit with a Blue Thunder bomb by Daniels.
Sabin & Daniels fight on the cables, then in the ring when the fall down. Sabin hits an enziguiri followed by a nasty tornado DDT. Suicide takes out Sabin, kicking off a segment of everyone hitting a big move on the guy the preceeded them. Red goes up, gets caught by Suicide, and teases an infrared off the top. Sabin runs in, and Red hits him with a sunset bomb, while Sabin tosses Suicide at the same time, right into Daniels. Homicide dumps Shelley, but takes a spinning heel kick from Red, who then follows with a corkscrew splash off the top and a standing Shooting Star Press.
Suicide takes out Red, then hits Sabin with the Flux Capacitor, and poor Sabin is then hit with the BME by Daniels. Suicide, Daniels, & Red climb on top off the rig for no apparent reason, prompting a "please don't die" chant. Daniels & Suicide tease falling off the rig. Daniels steps down right onto where the belt is, but Suicide steps on the strap to prevent Daniels from taking it. Suicide takes Daniels off the cables, SPIKING HIM RIGHT ON HIS HEAD. Red drops down off the rig and grabs the belt to retain. Pretty fun car crash with some amazingly stupidly reckless spots, especially the big one right before the finish.
-#3: TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles [c] VS Sting
-This is the BFG main event. Tale of the tape has Styles at six feet tall. On hockey skates maybe. Slow start. Styles is ready for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A few standoffs to establish that they're on even ground. AJ hits a kneedrop to the forehead for two. Sting counters a whip, and Styles somersaults into the turnbuckles. Sting knocks AJ outside, then holds the ropes open for him to get back in. AJ scores with a kick and a suplex for two. Sting comes back with a kick to the chest and a bulldog and a huge backdrop.
Styles hits a dropkick, and Sting rolls outside. AJ dives off the apron, and hits the guardrail. Sting tries a Stinger Splash, and does the same. I think Sting's success rate with that move is around 5%. AJ rolls back inside, and stops Earl Hebner from counting Sting out. They each block moves in the corner. Sting goes up, but AJ catches him, and goes for a tombstone. Sting reverses, and hits the move for two. AJ comes back with a springboard flying clothesline for two. They fight over an inverted DDT/Scorpion Death Drop, and Sting gets it. Sting follows up with a Stinger Splash and another SDD for two.
Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock, but AJ powers out. Sting no-sells some chops, and drops AJ right on his head with a clothesline for two. They go up top, and AJ knocks Sting down. AJ hits a Pele off the apron, and a springboard splash...for the pin? Odd finish. The match was pretty good, but I was expecting a much bigger finishing sequence than that.
-Video reviews the Desmond Wolfe/Kurt Angle feud.
-#2: Desmond Wolfe VS Kurt Angle
-This is from Turning Point. Wolfe wins the battle over a wristlock early on. After some more chain wrestling, Wolfe works on the arm. Angle hits a suplex for two, then a backbreaker for another near-fall. Wolfe goes back to work on the arm with various takedowns and throws. Wolfe ties Angle up into a very nasty position, but stops to pose and nearly gets caught with the anklelock. Wolfe hits a running European uppercut in the corner. He goes for another one, but gets caught and thrown.
Angle ducks a clothesline, and hits six rolling German suplexes. Probably not the smartest spot for two guys with head-and-neck issues. Crowd is seriously into this. Wolfe slides out of an Angle Slam, and scores with a lariat for two. Angle slides out of the Tower of London, and gets the Angle Slam for two. Wolfe wrenches the arm to regain control, and slaps on the London Dungeon. Kurt counters that into the anklelock, and Wolfe counters that into a leg hammerlock, which is then re-countered into the anklelock.
Another Angle Slam is countered into a DDT. Wolfe hits the Tower of London for two. Wolfe sets up for the lariat, but gets caught with one. Angle misses a moonsault, and Wolfe gets the London Dungeon again, but Angle gets to the ropes. Kurt tries to get a choke to counter the Tower of London. Wolfe feels that coming, thrust Kurt in the throat, and goes for a superplex. Angle slugs him down, and hits a frog splash for two. Angle goes for a tombstone. Wolfe reverses, but Angle slides down and gets the anklelock again. Wolfe won't tap, so Angle goes for a cross-armbreaker. Wolfe fights that, so Kurt turns that into a side triangle choke, and Wolfe taps. Now THAT is a match worthy of MOTY-contender status. It's sad that Wolfe came in, beat Kurt, then had nowhere to go but down because they weren't going to put the world title on him, as evidenced by the period where TNA said an online fan poll was always going to determine the #1 contender, only to see Wolfe continually win, so they'd have Wolfe lose his shots pretty easily, then discontinued the poll.
-Video sets up Styles/Daniels/Joe.
-#1: TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles [c] VS Samoa Joe VS Christopher Daniels
-This is also from Turning Point. Styles has shrunk an inch, according to the "Tale of the Tape". They tease a three-way lockup, then Daniels sucker-punches AJ. Joe wins a slugfest with Daniels, but takes a forearm from AJ. Joes comes back and kicks Styles in the head. Joe goes for his back chop--->kick to the chest--->knee drop combo, but is cut off and knocked outside by Daniels. Styles hits dropkicks on both challengers, and gets a headlock on Daniels. Daniels tries to throw Styles, who springs off Joe while he's on the apron, and hangs onto the hold. Daniels sends AJ into the ropes, where Joe trips him up, allowing Daniels to hit a Downward Spiral.
Joe punches Daniels down in the corer, and punts AJ in the ribs. Joe hits a running high knee on Daniels for two, then kicks at his leg before getting a rolling leg bar, which is broken up by a knee drop to the head by AJ. AJ & Joe fight over a suplex, and AJ wins. Daniels breaks up a submission on Joe, and drops a knee on the back of AJ's head. Daniels goes after Styles' neck. Daniels cuts off an interfering Joe, slams AJ onto Joe, then applies a Boston Crab on AJ and a camel clutch on Joe at the same time (AJ and Daniels are on Joe's back). Joe bites Daniels' hand to escape, then plants him with a urinage before hitting face washes on both opponents.
Joe hits a dropkick on AJ and lands on Daniels with a senton at the same time. Joe goes for a suicide dive, but AJ kicks him in the head to block. Daniels catches AJ with a forearm and wants to dive onto Joe, but he gets cut off and hit with a brainbuster by AJ. AJ tries a dive, but thinks better of it and lands on the apron, allowing Joe to hit a legsweep and crack AJ's face on the apron. Daniels hits his dive on Joe, but then gets caught in a choke. AJ breaks that up with the Fosburry Flop, and gets two on Joe.
AJ gets a flying headscissors on Joe. AJ jumps off Daniels' back to hit a forearm on Joe, then hits a springboard hurricarana on Daniels for two. Daniels monkeyflips AJ right into Joe, who powerbombs AJ into Daniels. Joe catches AJ with a powerbomb for two, then a Boston Crab into an STF, then a crossface when AJ kicks out. AJ runs into a snap powerslam from Joe for two. Another inovative spot as Daniels gets Joe into inverted DDT position, then hits AJ with a urinage at the same time, sending him crashing on top of Joe as he finishes the DDT. Daniels gets two on both guys. AJ counters a Daniels' suplex and hits a neckbreaker.
Joe absorbs some punches from AJ, hits him with slaps and a nasty roundhouse to the head. Daniels catches Joe with an open palm thrust and an enziguiri, then AJ hits Daniels with the Pele Kick. AJ cleans house, then hits Joe with the springboard flying forearm for two, then a hurricarana for another two count. AJ hits Joe with a back elbow, then the moonsault into an inverted DDT for two. He tries to same to Daniels, who counters into the Last Rites for two. Daniels hits Joe with a release German suplex. Joe crotches Daniels on the top rope then hits the Muscle Buster, but AJ breaks up the pin. Joe gets AJ caught in a rolling cradle, and gets two. AJ comes back with a spinning kick on Joe.
AJ sets up for the Styles Clash on Joe, but takes a kick to the head from Daniels. AJ counters Last Rites and goes for Angel's Wings. Daniels gets out and goes for the Styles Clash, but Joe kicks Daniels in the face, allowing AJ to fall on top and forcing Joe to kick AJ in the back to break it up. AJ and Daniels double team Joe. They both go up top, but Joe knocks AJ to the floor. Daniels counters the Muscle Buster and hits an STO. Daniels hits the BME, but AJ breaks up the cover with a springboard 450 with both his knees hitting Daniels square in the back, and AJ gets the pin on Joe to retain. This was AWESOME, and probably the best triple threat I've ever seen. I haven't seen the original AJ/Joe/Daniels triple threat in a while, but my first impressions is that this was better, and the original match was awesome just. Great, great stuff here.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: This set is pretty disappointing until the last two matches. The KO match is an odd pick, as is the Empty Arena Match. Everything else is good, but not great, until you get to the last two matches on the countdown. If nothing else, this set made me want to get Turning Point '09.
