TheOneBigWill's 'take' on T.N.A. Hard Justice: August 10th, 2008:
Opening Segment: (I didn't witness this) Apparently the show opens with Sting arriving at the building and Lauren tries to get Sting to explain why he's been doing what he's been doing. Sting refuses to speak, as he continues into the arena. The show then opens with the Rap performance of Grandmaster Caz, Ice-T & F.I.L.T.H.E.E. (oh, how glad I am, to have missed this)
The Matches:
1. X-Division Championship: Petey Williams (c) v. Consequences Creed: (I came in about 3 or so minutes in) Overall this was a rather good match for nothing more than what it was meant to be. Creed showed a lot of overall offense in this match and it seemed like Williams has just lost any type of momentum he once had as a threat in the X-Division.
This was a very solid X-Division match (to me) and again, it was carried a lot by Creed instead of Williams. I'd going into this match felt that Williams was going to be challenged then in the end just walk away with a victory, with ease. I was sadly mistaken. In the end, it was actually the interference of Sheik Abdul Bashir (Daivari) hitting Creed in the back with a steel chair, that set-up the Canadian Destroyer for Williams to retain his Championship.
After the match was over, Bashir cut a heel/anti-american promo stating that he was waging war and Creed can be the "American Dream" all he wants, because Bashir is going to be the Nightmare. I'm curious if this is somehow going to set-up for the return of Dusty Rhodes?
2. Six Woman Tag Team Match: Taylor Wilde, Gail Kim & O.D.B. v. The Beautiful People & Awesome Kong: This match must have been made on iMPACT! (which I've yet to see, due to illness) I have to state right off the bat, and I'm sure I'll take a lot of heat for it, but T.N.A.'s Women's division even with the Beautiful People are just overly more out done than the W.W.E.'s division. This match truly showed the depth of T.N.A.'s division, and Traci Brooks somehow factored into the match as the special referee as well.
While I'm glad T.N.A. is returning Awesome Kong to being the "unstoppable force" she's always been figured to be, I think it's a bit much and sadly way beyond too late to attempt repairing the damage they've done by having her lose to a 'fan'. (who is still Champion, and apparently the best new thing to hit T.N.A.'s Knockouts?)
I have no clue what the hell is up with O.D.B., but the only woman in this match that seemed to not care for off-beat humor was Gail Kim, who every chance she got, took it to her opponent's with non-stop offense. Meanwhile, O.D.B. spent much of the time she was in, spraying her crotch with perfume. Nicely done creative, nicely done indeed.
In the end, it was Taylor Wilde who catches Love in a quick roll-up for the victory. The announcers have even started calling Wilde something to kinda nickname her a "fluke" by saying she's the Queen of the quick victories or something like that. Fluke, like I said.
3. Tag Team Championships: L.A.X. (c) v. Beer Money, Inc: Did I really just watch T.N.A. just fluke out Beer Money? Apparently Homicide's eye was injured on iMPACT! which made him the weak-link, while Hernandez has been deemed some type of wrestling God and new-found unbelieveable force. (you miss one show and everything changes) At any rate, this whole match was centered around Homicide's apparently blind eye, and in the end it was Beer Money capitalizing on that, with a beer bottle and we have new Champions.
I guess on a personal note Disco must truly think he's proved something to me with this. While I'm impressed, I'm not shocked. And anyone can clearly see I even called this victory. But at the same time, I'm still not been proven wrong, in T.N.A. just wasting time and talent by pairing two very good, if not great talents with James Storm and Robert Roode, and not even letting them pick up a decent victory, over a cruiserweight sized injured L.A.X. member. Wow, Beer Money must be some great unstoppable team to have been able to barely make it out with the titles huh.
4. Black Tie Brawl N' Chain Match: Jay Lethal v. Sonjay Dutt: I'm pissed off to the max with this match. Leave it to T.N. fucking A. to take their best mid-card feud, if not their most heated overall feud and turn it into a gimmick covered shit-fest. Jake called this right down to the fucking suit's. I thought T.N.A. wouldn't be that stupid.. I obviously thought wrong.
So the match itself was with Lethal and Dutt IN dress suits. And the way to win, was either by pinfall, submission or tearing your opponent's tux off. Did I really just witness T.N.A. try to out-do Howard Finkel & Harvey Wimplemen?!?! I think I did.. and I think they failed.
Half way through this match, Val leaves because of how boring it got. The announcers claimed she couldn't take anymore. I don't blame them, or her.. I was drowning in bordom over this shitfest. The fans piped in with how much they were in love with what T.N.A. did with this feud, as you could hear the boring chants. In the end, Lethal picks up the victory. But something tells me this isn't done yet, since Val just left without costing anyone the match.
I can hardly wait for next month's "Cut the Cake" match, in which both wrestlers will be given a dull knife and the first one to bust the other open wins. Oh, cake will be involved too.. and somehow Val will be inside it.
5. New Jersey Street Fight: Christian Cage & Rhino v. Team 3D: I was kinda feeling rough during this match, so I was in and out of it. For the most part I just couldn't get into it, but that may of been my own sickness instead of this match as a whole. Both of these teams, in my opinion, are still very good and at the top of the class as far as T.N.A.'s teams go.
They had duel cameras going at one time, whilst Christian and Brother Ray went one direction, while Devon & Rhino went another. Both somehow ended up in the crowd and they soon found each other, only to split back up with a couple situations where Rhino went down the steps and Christian jumped off something that was suppose to look high, when in actuality it was likely 3 feet off the ground.
In the end, it was Christian and Rhino picking up the victory when Rhino gored Brother Ray into (but not through) a table. Overall, it wasn't a bad match but I think it went on too long for my liking. After the match, Johnny Devine attacked Cage and Rhino, only for Abyss to randomly find p.p.v. time and make the save, once again without picking up a weapon.
6. Last Man Standing: A.J. Styles v. Kurt Angle: I'm officially sick and tired of this feud, and I can only hope this is it. I think it is too. This contest went way beyond what it should've, and unlike other L.M.S. matches, this one you actually had to pin your opponent and then they had to remain down for a 10 count. So wouldn't that be a 13 count in total? Anyways..
Neither man seemed interested in this feud going this long, and somehow if it is over where the hell is Karen Angle? This whole thing is her fault, and she isn't even involved anymore. So now it's just between two guys fighting over nothing, more or less.
Angle took some nice bumps, including the finishing one being a D.D.T. from the top rope that when the camera caught it, it looked very 'hardcore' and realistic. Even when they zoomed in, it looked like his entire neck just got jammed insanely. Styles picks up the victory off that move, but after the match he wasn't finished. The E.M.T.'s were helping Angle, when Styles came back in and delivered a brain buster to Angle.
As Styles was walking with his back toward the entrance, the lights went out only to come back on with Sting standing there and delivering a Scorpion Death Drop on A.J. Apparently Styles and Sting will now feud, which means Sting has been taken away from the Main Event scene, apparently. (Or, the stupid way to go is having Angle continue to think Sting is with him, and we get more Angle v. Styles matches)
Main Event: Six Sides of Steel w/ Weapons: World Heavyweight Championship: Samoa Joe (c) v. Booker T.: Why is Samoa Joe still Champion? There is no correct answer, because he shouldn't be. This match was brutual, horrible, and just unreal to watch.. and those aren't credits to it being a "violent" match, but instead it's me saying the match was so stupid and shit filled, I can't believe I sat there for 25 minutes and watched it all unfold.
Weapons were all around the ring, and yeah some got used. Booker hit's a Book-End on two steel chairs, then connects with what would've won him the match, only for the lights to go out and when they came back on, Joe was no-selling the finisher and smashes a guitar over Booker's head. Samoa Joe picks up the victory, with the ending segment being the announcer's blowing nuts over the fact that apparently only one man could've had the ability to get hold of a guitar, so does this mean he's returning??
Overall Thoughts: Hard Justice was crap, plain and simple. The matches that were meant to be the best ones on the card either went way too long, or sucked entirely. The matches that noone cared about were the most exciting, and somehow I'm gonna say the Knockout's 6 Woman Tag was more enjoyable to watch than the Main Event.. and not just because the camera was incredibly attracted to close-up's of Velvet Sky's crotch.
What are they pushing Bashir for? Wouldn't it of made more sense for Creed to win the Championship, then get attacked and laid out by him? I mean, Williams is incredible to watch but tonight so was Creed. And Williams has no storyline, and has been floating along without a purpose since Steiner's injured. So Bashir attacked someone that will ultimately lead him to a dead-end feud, with no overall purpose other than attacking a guy wearing American colored tights. (Yet he neglects Angle?)
Where the fuck is Roxxi? Traci Brooks, special ref? So Roxxi couldn't even fucking ref a match now? They really fucked that girl over big time and it's just sickening to me. The Beautiful People are good and all, (that could be pushing it) but seriously, a fan from the stands.. and now Traci Brooks? Is Roxxi just that utterly crap that they have to shave her head, then completely discard her?
Beer Money against L.A.X. one more time, next month, in which somehow either L.A.X. get their titles back, or Beer Money retain them via getting counted out or DQ'd. Either way, Beer Money likely won't win 'cleanly' over L.A.X.. yet I see a Beer Money, Inc v. Christian Cage & Rhino showdown coming up as well.
I get the whole Abyss is tempted by using weapons, but doesn't wanna issue. But when is he going to return to actual wrestling? Or is he tempted by an actual match, but shys away from wanting to do that as well?
Sting against A.J. Styles seems like a Bound For Glory match, could it happen next month instead? All I'm asking is we don't get some type of Kurt Angle & Sting v. A.J. Styles and someone else type match-up. Especially not Samoa Joe. Sting v. Styles would be nice though, and anything to break-up the Angle/Styles feud.
Booker T's fame in Main Eventing for T.N.A. seems to be coming to a close, and I'm betting he returns to midcard ranks soon enough. Jeff Jarrett, that's the million dollar question. Was Jarrett responsible for giving Joe the guitar? If so, why? What's Jarrett have against Booker T.. and furthermore, why does Jarrett wanna ruin his own company, by keeping such a shit Champion with the gold??
I have to admit. This has been a horrible week for me, and I really wish (in the must joking way possible, but still) that I could've blacked out for this whole Pay Per View.. because watching the entire thing, or the most of it that I did.. has really left my head hurting even more.
