Destination X: The Aftermath

[Jack-Hammer]

TNA Destination X - July 10, 2011

Samoa Joe vs. Kazarian - I thought this match was a generally solid, if unspectacular opener. Neither guy's stock is especially high at this moment and there was a definite sense of "I don't really care about this match" for me. The action was solid and both of them worked well together. The formula of the match was kinda what I figured it'd be with Joe being the dominant guy with Kazarian getting in his shots. Kazarian comes up with the quick roll up victory a little past the 11 minute mark for the win. Again, a solid match but ultimately nothing major to write home about as one of these guys had to win and both have been on losing streaks as of late. **1/4

Douglas Williams vs. Mark Haskins - Overall, this was pretty unspectacular. I almost wish they'd have just brought out Anarquia or Hernandez here as I have absolutely no idea who this guy was and neither did the crowd. It just seemed that this Haskins guy was set up to fail from the moment he walked into the Impact Zone. Haskins did alright overall, though he's definitely green and you could tell this was his first big taste of any sort of major exposure. Predictably, Williams gets the win at the 7.5 minute mark. Complete filler and it had to be a big let down for anyone hoping for some X Division great from the past. *

Generation Me vs. Eric Young & Shark Boy - Lousy match here and I thought some really poor use of a couple of young and talented guys like Generation Me. This match had a lot of EY shenanigans going on and if you're into that, great. If you're not, then you're thinking "I paid $35 and they have this on the card?" This really is something that they should've just given to fans on Impact Wrestling instead of a ppv hyped to celebrate the X Division. Young & Shark Boy get the win at the 7.5 minute mark when Young hits Max Buck with a kind of wheelbarrow neckbreaker. 1/2*

Alex Shelley vs. Robbie E. vs. Shannon Moore vs. Amazing Red - Good effort by the wrestlers involved. Some good athleticism going on and a good number of spots, though some looked extremely choreographed. The match was pretty good all around but it was hard for me to really care for the most part. If you were to use both hands to tally up the number of appearances all four of these men have had on TNA television for the past several months combined, you'd have several fingers left uncounted. The only guy that remotely mattered here is Shelley, so it made sense that he come out with the win. Shelley wins the match at the 10.5 minute mark to become #1 contender for the X Division Championship. It was a good match though it's far from Ultimate X greatness. I didn't even know they were having this match until this past Thursday and it had virtually no build up. At any rate, here's hoping they make good use of Alex Shelley in the future. **3/4

Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - As expected, this was a very good and competitive match from a couple of long time rivals. Lots of high impact action throughout the match with some good near falls scattered here and there. The match told a good story of two rivals, both of whom are getting older, and using their past encounters and general legacy to help the match along. Rob Van Dam does get the win at the 16.5 minute mark after the Five Star Frog Splash. The action was quite good as was the storytelling, but the outcome here was completely obvious and this match will probably have absolutely no bearing on either guy past tonight. ***

Austin Aries vs. Low-Ki vs. Jack Evans vs. Zima Ion - This match was a crazy spotfest that was extremely hard to follow at times. However, there was a shitload of energy going on and you couldn't help but be impressed with the athleticism that was put on display. The last few minutes of the match were especially fun. Ion eventually nails Low-Ki with the 450 Splash before Aries breaks it up. Afterward, Evans goes for the 630 Splash on Low-Ki but Ki gets his knees up. Aries comes out of nowhere and hits kicks on everyone before delivering a brainbuster to Low-Ki for the clean win at the 13.5 minute mark. The crowd was definitely into the match and while it was definitely spot heavy at times and a definite lack of storytelling, it was still a fun match that, in my opinion, had the right outcome. ***1/2

Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick - This match was about what I expected it to be, which wasn't much really. Again, Abyss pretty much dominated Kendrick all over the place and the story just didn't generally make the X Division look good. Throughout their feud, commentators and the way Kendrick has been booked as this X Division savior give the impression that X Division guys are a novelty and can't hang with the big boys. Immortal runs out before a bunch of X Division guys run out and they start brawling. Immortal beats them up before more X Division scrubs come running out. Kendrick eventually scores a quick roll up for the win and becomes new X Division Champion. Kendrick has looked like a chump throughout his feud with Abyss and his title win means nothing. *

AJ Styles vs. Chrisopher Daniels - While this was an extremely good match, I kept thinking that they were trying to stretch this match out to make it as long as possible. You know, to try and give it that "epic" feel but I don't think anyone was buying into it. I know I wasn't. The match was very good and, as with RVD & Jerry Lynn, Styles & Daniels used their past rivaries and frienship to tell a good story. I just think they tried to drag the match out 10 minutes longer than it needed. I never bought into any of the near falls really until the last 3 minutes or so of the match. The match actually had a very good pace throughout with them starting things out methodically and just working their way up. Styles eventually gets the win about the 28.5 minute mark after hitting Spiral Tap, which he won his first X Division strap with. Daniels shakes his hand and leaves. Strong finish to the show. ***1/2

Overall Show - This is the first TNA ppv I've ordered in nearly 2 years and, for the most part, I enjoyed myself. I thought the undercard of the show was pretty underwhelming. Samoa Joe vs. Kazarian was a solid match, about what I thought it'd be. They put out a good effort but, ultimately, I didn't really care. Douglas Williams vs. Mark Haskins was meaningless filler. Generation Me vs. Erick Young & Shark Boy was more meaningless filler with a bright young team being fed to a comedy duo. The Ultimate X match was a good ppv match but it wasn't an epic encounter and won't be thought of in the annals of history as an example of Ultimate X greatness. The three matches that got the most attention for the show are the ones that delivered. The Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn match was a fun nostalgia kick with a couple of old rivalries getting into the ring and telling a good story. The match probably will have no meaning after tonight, however. The four way X Division match between Austin Aries, Low-Ki, Zima Ion & Jack Evans was a high octane match with a lot of spots and great displays of athleticism. It was a hard to follow at times and storytelling was at a minimum, but I was impressed with how hard they worked. Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick was pretty much irrelevant and that's kinda sad as this match was for the X Division Championship. Kendrick just isn't the guy to be "carrying" the X Division and I hope Alex Shelly takes the title off him soon. The main event between AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels was a fun, strong ending to the ppv that told a great story of old rivals like the RVD vs. Jerry Lynn match. Like RVD vs. Lynn, however, there was no real conflict here and the match probably won't mean that much in the long run. Overall, I thought Destination X was a fun show that did a good job of putting the X Division at the forefront. I do think they tried to rely a little too much on nostalgia sometimes, but it was a fun show that I hope isn't just a one night stand for the X Division.

Grade: B

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

I thought tonight was GREAT PPV and I enjoyed pretty much every single match. I thought the opener was Very Good Between Joe and Kaz ***1/2 I thought the Doug vs Haskins match was decent the guy was clearly nervous being in his first major PPV match so some of the sloppiness was understandable. I would like to see Haskins another chance to prove himself **1/4. When they showed Curryman and Sharkboy backstage. I thought the tag match was FUN and I enjoyed it for it was **1/4. I thought the Ultimate X was pretty some Nice Spots in the match like Red's SSP of Shannon Moores back and the Over the top rop move onto Shelley and Moore. The ending was abrupt but I'm Very Happy that Shelley I would give this match ***1/4 I think if it got 5-10 more minutes it would have been even better. RVD vs Lynn was Excellent and was better then I expected it and thought it was just below their ECW matchs. Nice paced action good spots and some Very Good counter Wrestling ***3/4 Next up was the contract match and I it thought was AWESOME it was just crazy Non stop action that never This is what should be about and I'm Ecstatic the Austin Aries the Greatest man that Ever lived won the match ****. I thought the Abyss vs going well and I enjoyed the David/Goliath story then the ref bump then came Eric Bischoff Kendrick knocked him out then the rest of Immortal came to beat down Kendrick then the whole X division came down to clear Immortal and allowed Kendrick to pick up the win and become the new X-Division Champ they raised him up and confetti was all over place for His Huge win, To me this was the PERFECT ending to the match and it was just a really good moment for Kendrick and I felt genuinely happy if this match was the Main Event which it could be argued it should've been it would be the Perfect way to end the PPV just the match alone I would give **1/2 but the ending bumps it up to ***1/2 for me. Next up was AJ and Daniels and this match was given enough to be a classic but I don't think it quite reached that level but it still was an Excellent Match that started off slowly but kept building to Bigger and better moves was easily match of the night I LOVED seeing AJ pull of the Spiral Tap for the win ****1/4

Overall I thoughr this PPV was great and a serious contender for PPV of the Year 9.5/10

 

[Papa Pillman]

Ill say this...

Joe/Kaz, Ultimate-X, RVD/Lynn, the "contract match", and AJ/Daniels
^^^^^
I challenge you to come up with any PPV at any point this year with five matches of that quality.

Overall I was quite satisfied. This was definitely a successful way to honor the X-division.

Also, for the people that say that after this PPV the X-division will simply disappear again, I offer this optimism- between Kendrick having the belt, Shelley being the #1 contender, and Aries winning the contract, it could be argued that creative is actually interested in commiting to the division by re-focusing it around some guys with strong personalities who can deliver on the stick.

 

[itssoeasy123]

Decent PPV. Streamed it, I don't give a fuck. After Victory Road I can't see how anybody can buy a TNA PPV anymore.

The first match between Kazarian and Samoa Joe was decent, nothing to really take from it as fantastic. I though the finish was abit strange, but overall it was a good match.

Williams vs. Mark Haskins just a randomly put together "who cares" match. Who is Mark Haskins and why of all people did TNA pick him to be the mystery opponent? Didn't really care for this match.

Generation Me vs. Young and Shark Boy was entertaining (everything's entertaining with Eric Young). Generation "Spotmonkeys" did what their usual stuff, but the comedic stuff at the beginning and even during the match was great between Shark Boy and Young was great. I wish they'd make Young and Shark Boy a comedic tag team like Santino and Kozlov, be better than have to listen to the "boyz in the back" stuff all night.

Ultimate X match was decent at best, not much to say about it. There wasn't alot of "Oh my God" spots or flips, people just did stuff. I though when Shannon Moore was going up the top of the set, he was gonna do some high-risk spot, no clue why that didn't happen.

RVD vs. Jerry Lynn was just a nogastical match for fans who want to live in 1997. Nothing really important, rememberable, or special about this match. I think RVD's spot when the back of his head landed on the chair looked brutal.

Austin Aries vs. Low-Ki vs. Jack Evans vs. Zima Ion was what I though it was gonna be, a spotfest. And let me be the first to tell you, I'm not a huge fan of spotfest's by any means. It's just people doing flips and moves to showboat and act like gymnist, not my thing. Austin Aries won, I think he can be a good addition to the TNA roster.

Abyss vs. Kendrick was good for what it was. Abyss played a very good heel during the match, and I think Kendrick played a very good babyface in peril.

AJ Styles vs. Chris Daniels was good way to end the show by showcasing two people who built the X-division and TNA in general. The wrestling itself was their normal kick-out finisher's and spotty stuff. Also, let me be the first to say I can't stand the "shaking hands" crap wrestlers do sometimes, "yeah I just kicked your ass for 30 minutes, lets shake hands and hug."

All in all, decent show showcasing some young talent and some talent from the X-division, also hope that the x-division came become more part of the show, and not throw under the rug.

 

[TheLoneLegend]

Also, let me be the first to say I can't stand the "shaking hands" crap wrestlers do sometimes, "yeah I just kicked your ass for 30 minutes, lets shake hands and hug."

Styles and Daniels are best friends in and outside of the ring, this is very well documented. So what's wrong with them celebrating together after having a match together? In fact it's also a great sign of sportsmanship to be able to celebrate with your opponent after the match OR ANY exhibition at that is over.

Overall it wasn't a bad PPV at all. Who was gonna win was kind of predictable, but it didn't ruin the pay-per-view for me in the slightest. Only thing I wish that was done differently and should of been differently was the Main Event. It really should of been Joe/Styles/Daniels in a Triple Threat match, but guess you can't have it all.

 

[yur_momma]

i absolutely despise tna, probably more than anyone...but i enjoyed tonights show. there was alot of cool stuff but what stands out most for me was williams and haskins. that was a tight match right there! well except for the slip up at the end but he sold the shit out of the miss right after. i hate his morrison gimmick he needs something fresh but someone who i watched the show with said he had the gimmick before morrison but i cant find anything about that on the net.
overall i walked away tonight very pleased because i expected to watch a disaster and ended up with something memorable. maybe it was because of the lack of the so called "main event" stars.

 

[blockanWo]

Samoa Joe vs Kazarian

Thought it was a fantastic match. Great opener. The crowd was pumped for it and was a fast paced hard hitting brawl. Real shame Joe didnt get the win and was very disappointed with the roll up for the win. Nontheless fantastic match.

Douglas Williams vs Some Guy Whos Name I Cant Remember

For a match that I really didnt care about, it was a fairly good match. Despite the few botches by I think his name was Haskins, he put on a fairly good showing. Was also great to see the technical, ground and pound part of the X Division in Douglas Williams.

Generation Me vs Shark Boy and Eric Young

Yeah, didnt expect much from this match. Eric Young was good for a chuckle but it was really a shame to see Gen Me relegated to the Comedic Relief of the evening. For what it was worth, Gen Me did show some of their speed and their high flying arsenal and Eric Young did actually put some good moves in but was not a good showcase for one of the most exciting tag teams in the company. Its a real shame Motor City Machine Guns are on the bench because Gen Me vs MCMG would have been much better.

...however, EY's finisher was awesome.

Ultimate X

Was everything I expected and more. Had the high spots thanks to Amazing Red and Shannon Moore. Had intense physicality thanks to....all of them and best of all... ALEX SHELLY WON! Also on a side note, thank god theyve dropped that Sangrietto gimmick for Red. Wasnt the best Ultimate X ive seen but definitely a great watch.

The New F'n Show Jerry Lynn vs The Whole F'n Show Rob Van Dam


The atmosphere for this match was insane. Even bigger than Samoa Joe vs Kazarian. You dont often get that out of the Impact Zone but so far tonight, the atmosphere has been electric.

This match was a classic RVD vs Lynn match. With all the reversals, near falls and stand offs. Only Lynn can really bring out the best in RVD and tonight was no exception, was a fantastic match out of both of them. Was good they were allowed to get the chairs involved. Wouldnt be a Lynn vs RVD match without the Van Daminator and that corner powerbomb.

Contract Match

Im not a fan of Zema. Austin Aries is pure gold on the mic and in the ring. Jack Evans is great to watch...and Low Ki...well hes fucking Low Ki. So I dont know who im pulling for in this match. Again the atmosphere is awesome and the crowd is chanting "Everybody!!". TNA, sign more than 1 of these guys...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! The crowd tend to agree with me, halfway through the match with a "Sign them all!!" chant.

I loved the dualing submissions from Low Ki and Aries, the whole match they were just trying to out do each other. The kicks, Aries suplexs, the high flying...it was pure excitement. I cant wait to see Aries on Impact! Match of the night for me so far. SIGN THEM ALL!!

Abyss vs Kendrick

So this should be a huge match the redemption of the X Division. I get the feeling Abyss is going to squash Kendrick however. But lets wait and see.

Wasnt the best match of the night, thats for sure. Was really a Abyss squash untill Kendrick busted him open. Was really good to see all the X Division come out and stand up to Immortal, I thought that would be how they would get the title back. Overall, great ending to an average match.

The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles vs The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels.

Was a much slower paced match than I had expected. Much more technical and ground based. Five star match all the same. Had all the elements of the classic AJ Daniels matches. Sound technical wrestling, the counter after counter, the high spots and all the near falls. ...and SPIRAL TAP FOR THE WIN!! SPIRAL TAP! SPIRAL TAP!

Final Thoughts

Pay Per View of the year. From either company. We had nostalgia mixed with new exciting stars, a stacked card of great matches with a mix of spotfests and mat wrestling. Was great to see Aries get the win and I truley hope they do sign more than one of those guys and continue with the promotion of the X Division. The crowd was intense and thats saying a lot for the Impact Zone crowd. Usually they are boring and really ruin the product, but tonight the place erupted. I think every match on the card...bar 1 or 2 were awesome. I think the Abyss match really slowed down the pace of the night and the botches and the ...opponent for Douglas Williams detracted from that match. Match of the night for me was easily the contract match, followed by AJ Styles v Daniels then Lynn vs RVD. Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed this PPV, its been a long time since ive said that in regards to a TNA or WWE PPV.

 

[Affliction]

it was a really solid ppv but they really had some problems

first, when they were building up the main event, why have Styles, Daniels and Joe in at the same time int he ring knowing they're 3 ways are regarded as some of the best matches ever and make the main event a one on one? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not even a fan of Joe and AJ vs Daniels is great anyway but still...
anyway...

Sommore Joe vs Kazarian
ok match, but nothing too spectacular. Glad Kaz got the win but I'm pretty sure the roll up means they'll continue on with the feud...
1.5/5

Douglas Williams vs what's-his-name
when I heard Williams was issuing an open challenge I though "man, I can't wait to see who it is. TNA is probably gonna bring in someone that was a previous X Division crowd favorite or something and Williams is a great wrestler". And then...out comes this nobody trying to look like hot shit with his sunglasses and fancy walk, I mean...what the hell? this is a ppv and you bring in some guy that couldn't even get a dark match on a tv taping? He botched quite a few moves and really didn't do anything...it was up to Douglas to carry the match
0.5/5

Hardy Boyz V 2.0 vs EY and Shark Boy
I should probably stop calling Gen Me Hardys Reloaded, I mean, when the Hardys were given the ball they fuckin ran with it, these two haven't really shown any personality or anything...they're just spot monkeys. Still fairly entertaining to watch though.
When I saw Shark Boy backstage I 'Shell Yeah''d. Great to see him again.
Nice an entertaining match, pretty funny too, but, again, nothing too spectacular
1/5

Ultimate X Match
Fire that dumb jersey shore prick already, he botched a few moves, didn't bring anything to the table and did some of the worst selling I've ever seen in my entire life, that annoying guy from Tough Enough that Booker almost beat up wasn't THIS bad.
It was obvious Shelley was going to win, TNA doesn't have confidence in Red and Shannon isn't anything that great nor does he have name recognition or anything. Don't get why he climbed that up at the end of the match.
Entertaining but, again, nothing too special
1.5/5

RVD vs Jerry Lynn
fairly boring, it god good when they brought in the chairs and that only lasted for a minute maybe(didn't know it was an extreme rules match btw). Pretty farty and kind of the same old same old stuff ...I think they did the same moves they did in that four corners on Impact. Wasn't all that bad or anything and of course RVD wins because...he's RVD. He's not allowed to lose matches.
1.5/5

Austin Aries vs. Low-Ki vs. Jack Evans vs. Zima Ion
"sign them all" "sign them all" "sign them all"
seriously! They had a helluva match. Aries is the more complete out of all the 4, great in the ring, great attitude, great personality, great on the mic(only one of the four that had a bitching promo) . Fast paced, lots of spots and highly entertaining
4/5

Abyss vs Kendrick
never really liked Kendrick that much, all he does are dropkicks...oh and he rushes in with the elbows. His gimmick is interesting but he's such a bore in the ring...and Abyss sucks. I did like the end with all the X division guys coming out and kicking Immortal's ass. Made me think that maybe they're actually thinking of rebuilding the X Div.
0.5/5

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniel vs "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles
great match, great match. Technical mat wrestling, highflying spots, this match had everything. Pity Daniels didn't win, he always get the shoe even though he's at least as good as Styles(imo better) but never gets what he deserves. It will be a sad they when he'll retire and his resume won't have any world titles...
AJ started getting really tired towards the end, his Spiral Tap didn't look as great as it usually does, he botches that springboard clothesline and didn't take the initial Reverse STO well. It's a shame his style of wrestling and age are affecting him ...
oh well, awesome match, one of the best of the year. Could it have been better? any match could've been better. There wasn't really any build up and they hadn't had a match for a long time so in my book, the match delivered.
4.5/5

 

[Dizzy]

Decent PPV. Streamed it, I don't give a fuck. After Victory Road I can't see how anybody can buy a TNA PPV anymore.

Oh get the fuck over it. It was one bad match. I don't see how anybody can buy a WWE PPV and expect to see someone else go over Cena.

The first match between Kazarian and Samoa Joe was decent, nothing to really take from it as fantastic. I though the finish was abit strange, but overall it was a good match.

There was nothing strange about it. You have never seen a "Cena" like guy lose?

Williams vs. Mark Haskins just a randomly put together "who cares" match. Who is Mark Haskins and why of all people did TNA pick him to be the mystery opponent? Didn't really care for this match.

Because he made his debut against the veteran British Wrestler. It makes sense.

Generation Me vs. Young and Shark Boy was entertaining (everything's entertaining with Eric Young). Generation "Spotmonkeys" did what their usual stuff, but the comedic stuff at the beginning and even during the match was great between Shark Boy and Young was great. I wish they'd make Young and Shark Boy a comedic tag team like Santino and Kozlov, be better than have to listen to the "boyz in the back" stuff all night.

Of all things, you find that entertaining but everything else is decent?? lol

Ultimate X match was decent at best, not much to say about it. There wasn't alot of "Oh my God" spots or flips, people just did stuff. I though when Shannon Moore was going up the top of the set, he was gonna do some high-risk spot, no clue why that didn't happen.

Because he didn't want to fall and hear you complain it was a terrible PPV.

RVD vs. Jerry Lynn was just a nogastical match for fans who want to live in 1997. Nothing really important, rememberable, or special about this match. I think RVD's spot when the back of his head landed on the chair looked brutal.

Or maybe fans who never fucking saw it in 1997.

Austin Aries vs. Low-Ki vs. Jack Evans vs. Zima Ion was what I though it was gonna be, a spotfest. And let me be the first to tell you, I'm not a huge fan of spotfest's by any means. It's just people doing flips and moves to showboat and act like gymnist, not my thing. Austin Aries won, I think he can be a good addition to the TNA roster.

Your not huge with anything. If WWE did it, you would love it.

Why are you even here?

Abyss vs. Kendrick was good for what it was. Abyss played a very good heel during the match, and I think Kendrick played a very good babyface in peril.

Agreed.

AJ Styles vs. Chris Daniels was good way to end the show by showcasing two people who built the X-division and TNA in general. The wrestling itself was their normal kick-out finisher's and spotty stuff. Also, let me be the first to say I can't stand the "shaking hands" crap wrestlers do sometimes, "yeah I just kicked your ass for 30 minutes, lets shake hands and hug."

Because their friends? It's not the first time we've seen that shit in wrestling. You honestly are gonna complain over sportsmenship?

All in all, decent show showcasing some young talent and some talent from the X-division, also hope that the x-division came become more part of the show, and not throw under the rug.

Lol Decent

But Mark Haskins and Aries are now on the roster. "Tna doesnt push da yung guysz"

 

[shattered dreams]

Samoa Joe vs Kazarian

Enjoyable match. It might be interesting if Joe somehow got back on track with a different type of streak. If they can fix his look and his attitude is in check he can be a useful part of the roster. Early I got the impression that the crowd was going to ruin the PPV for me. Luckily that was not the case and the only other time I had an issue with them was the tasteless Hogan chant in the main event.

Douglas Williams vs Haskins

I did not like this match. Haskins sucked and it was exacerbated by this being possibly the worst way to introduce him to the audience. If I squint I can see how this could have worked if Haskins had performed better but the guy just blew it.

Generation Me vs Shark Boy and Eric Young

Enjoyable filler. I would have liked to see some more tribute elements in this match but instead they basically used it to build EY up some more. Nothing wrong with that but one night of Super Eric or the return of the pyro entrance would have gone over huge I think.

Ultimate X

The match was a little better than I was expecting overall except the finish was somewhat lackluster. Robbie's selling at points was stupid but other than that everyone brought some good stuff to the match. Red had a solid showing pulling off some interesting sets of moves in a more organic way than he sometimes does as they really fit the flow the action.

The New F'n Show Jerry Lynn vs The Whole F'n Show Rob Van Dam


I really enjoyed this match. Sure they were missing a step or so compared to the past but that is kind of a duh point anyway and I know I didn't care. They worked the crowd well and showcased some good variety. The only thing I felt was somewhat unnecessary was the heelish turn by Lynn later in the match.

Contract Match

You knew they had to put out at least one crazy, fast paced and high flying match. They definitely delivered that here and the crowd loved it. This match definitely worked and it even managed to make everyone look good.

Abyss vs Kendrick

I'd say this match was more symbolic than anything. The past couple months seem to have been about Bischoff relaunching the X-division. I think the match itself might have been better served lower on the card but it was the title so it had to be up there. If you think the X-division is going away now you are stupid.

The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles vs The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels.

Good match that would have been an amazing match with more story behind it. Pretty much a showcase in wrestling matters and the evolution of the X-division and the talents that were a part of it. The story they did have they told about as good as it could possibly have been done. I am afraid that the effort put into selling the back and forth between the two was lost on many because a lot of it was more subtle. Fitting ending to an enjoyable match and show.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Overall, highly enjoyed the pay-per-view. It had its weak points, but what PPV doesn't?

The opening match was good, I enjoyed watching Joe being actually put over, not with the odd move here or there, but he dominated Kaz for the duration of the bout. It's obvious TNA are planning a Joe snap again, due to him losing so frequently, but having him lose on an X-Division PPV, is a bad call. Didn't want Kaz to win, don't think anybody in the crowd last night wanted it either. Still though, pretty good match.

Not a fan of the second match. I can understand that it was for a bit of "fun" and that's fantastic stuff, but I really don't want to see someone in a Shark costume bite someones ass. It was a fun match, but not a very good one.

And then RVD/Lynn. Again, it was hurt due to the monumentous build-up, they didn't actually get into it until the last quarter of the match. I thought the Powerbomb where RVD actually flew was cool, but rather stupid. Barely even hit the chair either. But it was a good adding chapter to their story which for some reason, I don't think is over, not with HardCORE Justice looming.

After those, I thought the PPV was the best one TNA has had in a long freakin' time. Kendrick beating Abyss was a great feel good moment, the Ultimate-X match was good and I thought they all looked impressive, even the intolerable Robbie-E. And the match that stole the show was the Aries/Evans/Low-Ki/Xima bout.

I agree with the crowd, sign them all if you had a brain. Obviously Evans is contracted to AAA but the other two are working solely on the independant circuit. Aries, Low-Ki and Xima would be great editions to the X-Division and the roster. I love how they stole the show, because it slapped the shit out of the faces of the TNA roster. Four guys come in and have a better match than the roster has had in the last 14 months, probably plus. I'd feel insulted.

Good PPV, hope TNA don't fuck up their momentum.

 

[Xtreme_Animlas2314]

This was my first TNA PPV that I have brought in years. The last time I brought a PPV was probably back in 2005 so it's been about six years. Their was a few reason why I brought this PPV and I really did enjoy it. TNA still found a way to screw things up a bit. The whole pre show was the same video promo hype package that showed on last week Impact show. Minor backstage segment if any don't recall.

I would had put the thirty minutes to good use like going down the entire card. At least make announcement about a Tag Team match is going to take place. Also gave the minor guys like the wrestlers in the contract match had more time to hype for their match then just about any other match.

TNA had thirty minutes to use on the pre-show and plus total of two hours and fifty minutes for the live PPV.

Why can't TNA time their stuff properly? We saw four matches in one hour so quick it's not even funny. I think TNA rush some of the stuff just they can make sure they had time at end of the PPV. They also could added some extra stuff to hype some of the match besides replaying the same old Video package that we saw on the Impact last week and the pre-show.


Singles Match: 15:58
Samoa Joe vs Kazarian

I believe should had been higher on the card. At least this match would be a little entertaining the X-Division Title Match. Seems that something was missing to me. Overall it was a decent match to say the least but nothing gain or loss here. I still think that Joe should had face Abyss. It wouldn't be high flying but at least it wouldn't be a squash match. TNA could go either way on how to end it though. two 1/2 stars


Open Challenege Match: 11:13
Douglas Williams vs Mark Haskins (??)

I had my whole hopes to be surprise about this match because we had no idea who it would be. Now I get it that this was newly sign guy but I would had him go through the whole contract Match type setup at least build this character up. It was still an ok match but I believe it would had been better if they had chosen someone else at least that could help continue the feud with Mexican America at least. one 1/2 stars


X Division Tag Team Match: 10:10
Generation Me vs Eric Young and Shark Boy

I knew that there was going to be somewhat of an Tag Team match to take place but didn't know who Generation Me would face since MCMG couldn't do it. This was a fun match to watch but if they added another third REAL time to this it been better in my eyes. Of course it would make the match go longer then it did. two stars


Ultimate X Fatal Fourway Number One contender Match: 12:32
Alex Shelley vs Robbie E vs Amazing Red vs Shannon Moore

I enjoyed this match but this should have been in the second hour of the PPV at least. This is the Ultimate X match we are talking about!! I'm glad Shelley won but again it felt rush and I think it could had gone a tad bit longer if the right people was in it or at least one more was though. I still can't stand Robbie E and still hasn't shown anything for me to care for the guy. Except that he ripped his stuff off of the Jersey Shore show. As much as I like to see Cookie she was more annoying then Vickie Guerrero which shows a lot. I think Kaz or Kendrick or Lethal or Petey Williams or Low Ki would had been better choices then Robbie E. Sorry its the truth and it was a pretty good match. two and 3/4 stars


So one has been completed and four matches are done with leaving us with four matches to go with two hours left in the PPV. Not a smart choice here by TNA. I believe Samoa Joe vs Kazarian, Ultimate X, Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn, and Christopher Daniels vs A.J. Styles should be the three matches to go at least 15 minutes or longer.


Singles Match: 19:51
Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn

This is the match to start off the next hour. COnsidering being a fan of these two and watched some of their old footage. I couldn't wait for this match to happen. It started off slow and boring here and there but for me I was into it especially towards. Both guys are up their on age with Lynn at 48 and RVD at 40. The thing is when they want to wrestle they are able to do it. Compare to some of the younger guys or even the old guys like Flair or Sting. Sting is still in better shape then Flair but Flair still attempts to wrestle. Back on topic this was exciting match if your true wrestling fan. three and 3/4 stars

TNA contract Fatal Fourway Match: 23:39
Low Ki vs Jack Evans vs Zema Ion vs Austin Aeries

Now this was another match I was looking for and I can understand why TNA end up giving this so much time. I still believe that this should of been in between the first or third match of the night though. Since these are the new guys or returning stars they should had been in the first hour in a bussiness since. Surpris this went as long as it did compare to the Ultimate X match was only 12 minues. three stars


The start of the final hour of the PPV is upon us.! Six matches down and two more to go.


TNA X Division Title Match: 9:28
Abyss (C) vs Brian Kendrick

This is the match that I was stomped about being on the PPV. Joe or Daniels or Styles or even Angle would had been a suitable choice. What would had happen if Angle took the time and take the X-Division title away from Abyss and Immortal but then of course dropping it to Kendrick or Kaz or Shelley. Those matches would had been something. I give Kendrick a good effort here with Abyss doing his job as a heel. I kind of lost interest in this match though. I even missed the ending but I'll rewatch it again tonight.! Its a good thing that Kendrick won but now what is going to happen to Abyss and Immortal now.?! two and 1/2 stars


Singles Match: 30:03
Christopher Daniels vs A.J. Styles

Finally the Main Event is here but I wish the hype of this PPV match was better then what it ended up being. We all knew who was going to win but this was an exciting match to watch either way. What would had happen if Joe did get into this match or even Styles faced someone else. I liked the entire match even if it got a little slow time to time. These two can go thirt or more minutes but their stamina seems to be dropping and barely made it to thirty minutes. The best match of the night.!! four stars


Overall: B

I think the PPV was pretty good it had potential of being great that's for sure. Not the right people in the right match up or even some of the build to the match could had been better. I'm glad I brought but not for $35.00 dollars though. It was worth at least between $27.00 to $30.00 max in my opinions. Now we just have to wait and see how TNA handles the X-Division from here on out now. This Impact won't show case too much of the X-Division though probably.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

Pretty much agree with what the majority of you said except for what a lot of the obvious WWE smark said on page 1.

Pretty damn good show. It was funny seeing all those masked X-Divison past stars together signing autographs.. Eric Young was a good change of pace for the show. I really hope they give us more of him on TV.

Getting serious now...

I really enjoyed Lynn vs Van Dam.. that was a match I wanted to see at Hardcore Justice.. had to wait like the rest of the wrestling fans... it was basically exactly what I expected it to be.. and then the chair spots brought it to a whole nother level. Probably 3 of the sickest chair spots I've ever seen. Can you imagine when Van Dam got leg dropped into the wrong side of that chair? I suppose he hit the lip on the bottom side with his face and just cut himself open. Then that powerbomb from the corner.. why it did like a little bit oversold, it was well done and incredible.

The Ultimate X, I really did enjoy it.. but it seemed to end rather quickly. I like all four of those guys, Robbie E is fun to watch... overselling a little bit much though... Amazing Red continues to AMAZE with his maneuvers he pulls off... Alex Shelley.. glad he won..

Of course the Fatal 4-Way for the X-Divison Contract... was amazing... I have a hard time picking a match of the night, but this one defiantly stole the show. All the haters will refer to it as a spot fest... FUCK THE HATERS... all the spots made perfect sense to me and I thought that match was just brilliant. I'm going to agree with the crowd and say.. SIGN THEM ALL... Austin Aries really is the total package(well except his size), Low Ki truly is a fucking warrior, and Jack Evans is just so fun to watch.

Abyss Vs Kendrick... feel good moment when Kendrick won... I thought it was cool how they got the X-Divison involved with Immortal... was a change of pace for the night.. and for once I didn't mind the run-ins. Interesting to see what will happen to Kendrick after he punched Eric Bischoff... wonder if they'll tie Shelley in with his title shot? Or if he'll just get a random match and fail?

By the time Daniels and Styles came on, I might have been a little warn out by the action, but I certainly did enjoy the match, I just didn't follow the beginning as closely as I try to follow the matches. They gave me exactly what I expected from them and AJ STYLES proves to be the best... YET AGAIN.

 

[Darkshot77]

Darkshot77's Thoughts on Destination X 2011

I have not been as impressed with a PPV in quite some times. I honestly enjoyed every match on the card. But I like cruiser weights and Destination X proved what x division matches are good for, pure entertainment. And In that aspect they delivered.

Joe and Kaz was good, crowd really behind Joe, and they still job him. Oh how far he has fallen, Joe has always been a great performer, and I feel he is underutilized. Besides Kaz really wont benifit from going over Joe, he is still the low man on the totem poll in Fortune.

Another member of British invasion, whoopde doo.

I love Eric Young, he is so entertaining. I loved seeing Shark Boy too. I wish this would have happened to someone other than Gen Me. But it did its job. Eric Young's gimmick is fantastic he is all over the place, and dose a great job of it. One issue, any new comer to TNA would see him with both those belts and think he is a big deal, when he isnt.

Ultimate X was good but disappointing, I was left wanting more.

Jynn and RVD was good. In comparison to there earlier matches it was very slow, but they are old, and can still perform at a ME level, well done boys.

While Abyss/Kendrick wasn't a spectacular match, it told a great story. The X division collectively has done something no one else TNA can, Beat Immortal. They banded together and took out the power, thus could be a
great story, I would love to see an X-Division takeover, if only for a week.

Daniels/Styles was stretched too par and was boring in the beginning, if it was going to go so long, why not an iron-man match. The crowd was very into the match, and both parties performed well.

The contract match was the match of them night, all 4 men were throwing it all in the ring for a job. That was cool, it was all over the place and every man looked great. I haven't seen a match with that much energy in a while, I was connected to the match.

For the first time in while I have left a PPV satisfied. I was properly entertained for the time i gave to it. The WWE has yet to do that this year.

Final Rating: 8/10

 

[Stein Lager]

Ok so aj vs Daniels was good..... That's about it.. Kendrick annoys the living shit out of me.. The way he talks, the way he rocks up on last weeks impact with fucking sandals on.. Hate him.. Sorry, but yeah, hate him. The ultimate x match was utter shit.. Just the fact a douche with a jersey shore gimmick can get in on it just lets it down. Samoa Joe vs karrizzi, of whatever his name is was shit, sorry to all the Joe marks but I dont see what you all see in him, he's a fat ugly boring dipshit, not a fan. Bringing back the old school ring I didn't quite care for, it's a lame gimmick they initially used to set themselves apart from wwe.. Hopefully it's the last time we see it.. Rvd vs Jerry lynn was slow and boring. The whole ppv was all up shit. No wonder tna will never be in the same ballpark as wwe!!

 

[bigandpissed]

Ok so aj vs Daniels was good..... That's about it.. Kendrick annoys the living shit out of me.. The way he talks, the way he rocks up on last weeks impact with fucking sandals on.. Hate him.. Sorry, but yeah, hate him. The ultimate x match was utter shit.. Just the fact a douche with a jersey shore gimmick can get in on it just lets it down. Samoa Joe vs karrizzi, of whatever his name is was shit, sorry to all the Joe marks but I dont see what you all see in him, he's a fat ugly boring dipshit, not a fan. Bringing back the old school ring I didn't quite care for, it's a lame gimmick they initially used to set themselves apart from wwe.. Hopefully it's the last time we see it.. Rvd vs Jerry lynn was slow and boring. The whole ppv was all up shit. No wonder tna will never be in the same ballpark as wwe!!

Wow, way to forget arguably the best match on the card (the four way for the contract). And if you don't even know Kazarian's name, I don't know why your on this part of the forum. It doesn't even seem like you watched the PPV (because you didn't really say anything specific about the matches), it seems like you looked at the listed matches and just started talking shit. That pay per view was pretty fucking entertaining.

 

[Chess]

Man some of you guys are extemely harsh with your ratings. The Four Way for the Contract was incredible and the best X Division style match I have seen in years. AJ/Daniels and RVD/Lynn were both great stories with some great spots, I give both 3.5 stars. Joe/Kaz was enjoyable and a good start match.

I agree with most that Haskins failed to impress, perhaps because the crowd were on his case and he calapsed under the pressure or because he is just average. The X Division match showed why the X-Division has not been showcased too much as Shannon Moore sucks while GTW is not a highflyer. Why bother having an Ultimate X match if they do not use it properly, hanging from the ropes and dropping to your feet once pulled is not entertainig at all. I though Gen Me showed no interest or passion as soon as I saw them and now we no why, apart from their fued with MCMG these guys did nothing.

The Abyss/Kendrick story got the belt off Abyss so I could care less about the match it wasn't awful nor was it good.

This was a highly enjoable PPV, I just hope Low Ki, Evans and Xion all get signed and we lose more useless talent like Shannon Moore, Anarchia and Rob Fucking Terry.

 

[The Hiphopapotamus]

After what I estimate as an 18 month hiatus from wrestling, I happened to see TNA while flicking through the channels, and decided to have a look for old times sake. What immediately caught my attention was that Destination X (for some reason, which I proceeded to find out) was on soon. Now, I used to adore wrestling, TNA and especially the X division, and I figured that I might as well give it a whirl, to see if I could rekindle my relationship. So as I watched, it all came back, even if I was slightly confused (nothing the internet couldn't fix), and I had a bit of a hit of nostalgia. I figured if Destination X doesn't bring me back in love with wrestling, nothing will.

Samoa Joe vs Kazarian
Thoughts before: Always been a mark for Joe, in fact I don't think I enjoy anyone wrestle as much as him. It saddens me to see him still in the same place he was when I stopped watching, lost in the midcard. Kaz was a solid competitor, maybe lacking a bit in the charisma department, but he's enjoyable. Plus the flux capacitor is beastly.
Thoughts on the match: Very entertaining. I will admit bias there due to me enjoying Joe more than most, but isn't that how it works?
I can imagine being hard to wrestle against Joe's stiff style, but Kaz definitely didn't seem to mind. Frankie just took those kicks and kept coming back for more. Admirable. I do disagree with the ending, purely because I would have liked to see at least the muscle buster. Alas. Although I question the use of a roll up victory when Joe didn't seem to be a heel, but correct me if I'm wrong. I won't be rating matches, purely because I have no way to gauge them at the moment. They could be way below or above average for all I know.

Doug(las) Williams vs Mark Haskins
Thoughts before: Doug Williams is a tad underrated, but has a tendancy to bore the fuck out of me. And then we have a mystery opponent. Didn't succeed when he's still a mystery once you unveil him.
Thoughts on match: Poor to mediocre. Noticed a few botches, and a lack of atmosphere. It really seemed as just an exercise in trying to integrate Haskins, when really it should have been beneficial to Doug. No way should a debut like that be on PPV. Where the fuck was Homicide or KENTA or someone of that ilk...? Just glad it wasn't kiyoshi.

Generation Me vs Eric Young and Sharkboy
Thoughts before: I always wanted to see the Young Bucks, sorry, Generation Me, on Tv after seeing them in ROH. I remember their debut, and thinking "cool", and it disappoints me to see them gone now. Eric Young has finally convinced me that his natural hair colour was in fact not blonde, and shark boy proves that you don't need talent to get paid, all you need to do is be "funny".
Thoughts on match: Poor to Mediocre. Couple of comedy skits, lack of any real pace and urgency to the match, but it was worth it for the shark bite and young blood neckbreaker.

Ultimate X: Shannon Moore vs Alex Shelley vs Robbie E vs Amazing Red
Thoughts before: I'm a huge Red and Shelley mark through and through, and as delighted to see them in this. Shelley really needs a push as title holder, even I can tell that. Surely he must win. Shannon Moore has never really impressed other than the fact that his hair is longer than my arm. Robbie E? Who the fuck....
Thoughts on match: 4 contrasting hair styles, 4 similar wrestling styles, the ultimate X match was entertaining but I felt there could have been a bit more. Nowhere near the greatness of previous ultimate X matches (Joe v Styles v Daniels, the 10 man gauntlet at victory road 2007, LAX vs either MCMG or Beer Money at BFG one year), but still very good. Robbie E is over the top greatness for someone who has seen Jersey shore on occasions, and I was sort of expecting him to pop out from the under the other side of the ring and win the match, which would have probably been the greatest spot ever. Speaking of which, there weren't as many of them as I expected. Shannon Moore didn't do much, Red could have done more, but obviously Shelley picks up the X.

Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn
Thoughts before: Always liked RVD, and it was a pity that when I finally got my wish for him to come to TNA I fell out of love with wrestling. Jerry Lynn seems to turn up every now and them behind some sort of hoo-ha, but he's a solid performer.
Thoughts on match: Entertaining. Too much nostalgia attached, because frankly I don't give a fuck if they once wrestled in ECW together, but they almost lived up to it. A bit of a heel turn from Jerry Lynn maybe, a heel turn which I feel won't work, purely because how can you stay angry at him. Just look at his face. Disappointing to not see the cradle pile driver, but the splash was broken out so s'all good. Question: Does he still do that think with the letters and thumbs he used to do? He seems to have stopped that.

Fatal Four way for 6 months of midcard obscurity: Austin Aries v Low Ki v Jack Evans v Zema Ion.
Thoughts before: Austin Aries is someone I remember as unfairly treated in TNA (two words: Bob Backlund) and a bit of an indie darling. Low Ki is another one you can file directly under this, except you have to remember his "educated feet". One of these have to get the win. Jack Evans is a good guy to watch highlight packages of on youtube, but I doubt he'd have much of a chance in TNA. Zema Ion seems like a slightly lighter skinned version of Consequences Creed, so I'll give him a chance.
Thoughts on match: Very, very Good. You can call it a spot fest with no story telling, but I think they told the story of "4 guys trying their best to jump around and act like X division wrestlers in order to get a job" pretty well. Austin Aries was highly impressive, the triple dropkick being quite funny, but the highlight was him and Low Ki trash talking while performing submissions face to face. Marvellous. Zema and Jack did their jobs, but I can't help but feel that Low Ki could have done more. Now hopefully Aries will kick on and do something worthwhile. I enjoyed it just as much as I thought.

X division title: Abyss(c) vs Brian Kendrick
Thoughts before: Wait, what? There is no way Abyss should be champion, but Brian Kendrick should not be anywhere near the title, at least from what I saw from him previously, unless he's a heel. There are too many faces that are better than him in the division but very few legitimate heels (williams, Aries and the Machine guns being the only ones I can think of). I always thought abyss was great at what he did, but Kendrick never impressed me.
Thoughts after match: Mediocre. Typical squash-screw-screwed screw-roll up-bemused look combination that has served the X division so well in the past. Kendrick just ruined my enjoyment. Get Shelley (face or heel) in there right NOW!

Main Event: AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels
Thoughts before: AJ Styles was the best worker in the world 18 months ago, and it would take someone unbelievable to knock him off that perch. The man is just so well rounded. Daniels is a supremely talented technical wrestler who just hasn't reached the heights he could have (I assume) in recent years. I think he's struggled when not wrestling Joe or Aj especially, and has sort of lived in his shadow as the other half of one of TNA's greatest ever tag teams, and I see him as the lesser of the holy trinity of the X division. It's a familiar match up, but one I'm certainly looking forward to.
Thoughts after the match: Great match, but I agree with a previous statement that it seemed dragged out purely to be deemed "epic". The territory has been tread before, and in a similar fashion, but they still know how to draw great performances from each other. If this really was supposed to dub the greatest X division wrestler ever, than it's fitting that Aj won, because there is no doubt he is the best from the X division's history, followed by Joe, Daniels, Sabin and Jay Lethal (6 time champ, hard to argue with).

Final Thoughts:I enjoyed the ppv around as much as I expected, but the main question I have to ask myself is will this make me start watching wrestling again? I enjoyed Destination X as much as I did because I love the X division, and from what I hear it has taken quite the back seat. So, I might check out TNA when I see it on for the time being, but as of now, Destination X has not gotten me hooked on sweaty men once again

 

[LSN80]

1.Samoa Joe vs Kazarian-- This was a solid opener, although Im not generally a fan of the even-steven booking. Joe dominates the match, and Kaz gets the roll-up victory. Joe telegraphed the finish by ducking into the pin, but that's just a small complaint. Neither man's stock appears to be very high right now, but Joe looked as motivated as he's been in a long time, played to the crowd perfectly, and used some old moves he doesn't use on a regular basis. I like both men and would like to see them work together again. ***

2. Douglas Williams vs Mark Haskins-- This match demonstrated the problem about open challenges, especially this one. To most of the crowd and this viewer, Haskins was an unknown commodity. If they were going to bring back a star from the past, this works. But they needed to establish Haskins ahead of time, perhaps with Williams cutting a promo on Haskins on the go-home Impact. The sequence where Haskins reversed Chaos Theory into a diamond cutter was a nice spot, but the rest of the match was unremarkable. *.5.

3. Shark Boy and Eric Young vs Generation Me-- Why a makeshift tag team defeats an established one is beyond me, although GenMe's release certainly explains part of it. Young's comedy is generally eye rolling to me, but his exchange over who would start the match got a good chuckle out of me. The wheelbarrel jawbreaker at the end was a nice finishing maneuever by Young, but the rest of the match simply rested on the asinine idea a comedy team together for the first time can defeat an established one. This was simply a feel good match for the live crowd, nothing more. *

4. Robbie E. (w/Cookie) vs. Alex Shelley vs. Shannon Moore vs. Amazing Red -- Ultimate X match -- #1 contender match to the X Division Title: The first-half of this match featured some typical overly-choreographed spots and some awkwardness, with Red being the lone bright spot. The match improved dramatically in the second-half as it built nicely to a finish. There was no explanation as to why the four men were in this match, especially Robbie and Red, who havent been on TV for months, but the right man went over here. A nice feel-good moment with Sabin celebrating with Shelley afterwards. **.5.

5. Austin Aries vs Jack Evans vs Zevon Ion vs LowKi-- This was undoubtedly the most memorable match on the card and the one match where the Impact Zone crowd really invested in the action. Aries was the victor, but the real winners were the customers, because this was one of the best four-way matches that I’ve seen in a long time. Some people may not like the rapid fire-spotfest action, but it made complete sense here. Since they were fighting for a TNA contract, it made sense that all four men were throwing caution to the wind and every move they had at their opponents. The finishing sequence with LowKI kicking out of the 450, getting his knees up on the 630, then eating the brainbuster from Aries was a memorable finish as well. Aries is the complete package, so the right choice to go over here. ****

6. Jerry Lynn vs RVD-- The match started off slowly, but turned brutal in the last ten minutes or so. Lynn's turn halfway through the match and his frustration at not being able to put away his old rival were well executed. The springboard sunsetflip powerbomb spot by Lynn that saw RVD thrown from the top turnbuckle halfway across the ring onto a steel chair was perhaps the move of the night. RVD also looked motivated and invested for the first time in a long time rather then just going from spot to spot. RVD used to sell bumps better then anyone, and he showed that ability once again in the latter half of the match. With both men in their '40s, and Lynn coming off of back injuries, this was a darn fine match. ***.75

7. Abyss(C) vs Brian Kendrick-- This match, for the X Division Championship, was a decent David vs. Goliath match. However, it also spotlighted a large dose of what people complain about regarding TNA, and thats crowded overbooking. With 4 3 Immortal thugs and no less then 15 X Division wrestlers interferring in the match, it detracted from what should have been Kendrick's biggest win of his career. a big dose of everything that people complain about with TNA. Being the only match on the show to feature the Immortal faction or the more spotlighted ‘heavyweight’ wrestlers, it was unsurprisingly a mess. In the end, it was a forgettable match and the only good part of the entire mess was that Abyss no longer holds the X division title. *

8. AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels-- While not the epic match it was plugged to be throughout the show, Daniels and Styles put on what I thought was a very good match, albeit one that took a while to pick up. The first third of the match was seemingly just endless armdrags followed by restholds, which was paced like it was meant to be an epic showdown. Unfortunately, it never kicked into that higher level and both seemed outright exhausted by the time A.J. hit the Spiral Tap for the win. I was also surprised that Daniels didnt heel on AJ by the end of the match, but despite these minor flaws, there’s no doubt that this was a very enjoyable, and worthy main event. ***.5

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Destination X 2011​

Samoa Joe VS Kaz

This was a very competitive and grueling match, that featured some good back and forth action. Joe was very dominant in this one, but Kaz managed to hold his own against the big man, and there was some nice suspense towards the end, as Kaz struggled to escape various submission holds. I guess Kaz could find his way back into the X-Division Title picture after this match, because this win could provide a nice boost for him. Joe has been on a losing streak lately, and his future doesn’t look too bright. Joe doesn’t have the best physique in TNA, but he can deliver in the ring, and the crowd was hot for him during this match. I hope Joe can gain some kind of momentum in the future. Anyway, this was a pretty good match, and I thought this was a great way to kick off the show. Match Rating: 7/10

Douglas Williams VS Mark Haskins

I thought this match was decent enough. Haskins had a few miscues here, but this match did feature some solid back and forth action, and there was a nice exchange of technical wrestling in the early stages of this one. I don’t know anything about Haskins, and this is my first glimpse of him. Although, Haskins first pay per view appearance didn’t go over to well. The crowd was probably expecting a more recognizable wrestler for the mystery opponent here, and Haskins did receive some “who are you?” chants. This match wasn’t anything to remember, and the fans in the Impact Zone were pretty harsh on Haskins at times. Match Rating: 5/10

Generation Me VS Eric Young & Shark Boy

I had low expectations for this one, but this match was actually pretty decent. Eric Young and Shark Boy provided a good amount of comedy antics, and this had to be expected, because some silly stuff will happen when you put these two together. The teamwork on both sides was pretty good, and this match did have a nice flow. Although, I was surprised to see Gen Me lose here. This is the same team that wrestled The Guns in those series of outstanding matches not too long ago, right? Shark Boy and Young can provide some laughs, but I highly doubt they could elevate TNA’s tag division. Match Rating: 5/10

Alex Shelley VS Shannon Moore VS Robbie. E VS Amazing Red- Ultimate X Match- #1 Contendership For X-Division Championship

Ultimate X matches are usually fun thrill rides, that are filled with some jaw dropping spots, and I don’t think things changed too much here. This X match had it’s moments of excitement, there was a good amount of action in this one, this match did feature some big spots and hard falls, and there was some nice suspense towards the very end, as all four men tried to grab the X. Also, I think Shelley was a good choice to win this one. Shelley can go in the ring, he can be entertaining on the mic, and I’m glad TNA is giving him some meaningful work. Sabin is still on the shelf, so The MCMG are out of service for now, and it would be a shame if they wasted Shelley’s talents. Match Rating: 7/10

RVD VS Jerry Lynn

I was looking forward to seeing this match last year at Hardcore Justice, but Lynn’s injury prevented this contest from happening. I really enjoyed this match, and I thought Lynn’s turn during the middle of this one was a nice touch. This match started out as a friendly contest, and I thought the “feeling each other out” process went on too long, but everything took a big turn, when Lynn took advantage of RVD’s handshake, as he threw him to the outside. This match became a lot more competitive and fierce, and there was some good back and forth action here. RVD VS Lynn provided some nostalgia for ECW fans, and seeing RVD walk away with the win here didn’t surprise me too much. Lynn couldn’t gain anything from the win, because he isn’t a regular member of the TNA roster, but RVD could use a slight boost. Match Rating: 8/10

Austin Aries VS Jack Evans VS Low Ki VS Zema Ion- Winner Receives TNA Contract

This match featured plenty of excitement and action from beginning to end, and the ending did feature some nice suspense, as all four men desperately tried to gain the pinfall. All four of these men were going for a TNA contract here, and you could really feel how bad they wanted it. I think Aries was a good choice for the win here. Aries is a fine wrestler, but I hope TNA decides to go the heel route with him. Aries does have this cocky and arrogant persona, and I think his character works better as a bad guy. Match Rating: 8/10

Abyss VS Brian Kendrick- X-Division Championship

Meh. I guess this was okay. Abyss dominated the majority of this match, and this one was pretty dull at times. Although, this match did gain some rhythm and momentum, when Abyss was busted open by Kendrick. This match FINALLY felt like a contest at this point, because before Abyss showed some blood, this match just felt like one giant squash. Abyss was having his way with Kendrick, and he wasn’t selling Kendrick’s offense. Also, I could’ve done without the gigantic clusterfuck style ending. Bischoff’s appearance didn’t bother me at all, but the huge brawl between the X-Division guys and Immortal did go over the top, and I thought this took a lot of focus off of the match. I can understand Kendrick’s celebration with the rest of the X-Division after the match. Kendrick finally defeated the monster, who wanted to destroy the X-Division, so of course his victory was a triumphant moment. But did they really need to go with the over the top shenanigans at the end? Match Rating: 5/10

Christopher Daniels VS AJ Styles

I’ve seen a few matches between Styles and Daniels (Final Resolution 2009 and the thirty minute Iron Man match from Bound For Glory 2005), and I do think these matches were better than their match here, but I still enjoyed this. This was a long and grueling duel, Styles and Daniels threw everything they could at each other, and this match featured plenty of impressive counters, but there were times where it felt like this match was dragging along. I was expecting something great here, but I don’t think this match reached that epic level. I also had a good feeling Styles would come out on top, but this match still managed to entertain me. Match Rating: 8/10

Overall Show Rating 8/10: Destination X 2011 was a fantastic pay per view, and this is the absolute best I’ve seen from TNA in a while. The majority of the wrestling was very good on this show, and I think this show did a great job of showcasing the X-Division. TNA has had a nice little run with quality pay per views, and I hope they can keep it up.