Hardcore Justice 2011: The Aftermath

[Jack-Hammer]

TNA Hardcore Justice - August 7, 2011

Brian Kendrick vs. Alex Shelley vs. Austin Aries for the TNA X Division Championship - Overall, I thought this was a solid effort to start the show off with. It wasn't mind blowingly good or anything and, truthfully, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it'd be. I kinda thought Shelley was wasted here as he just didn't really stand out. A few botched spots here and there and I thought they could have sold the moves better. I thought Aries was the saving grace of the match and especially helped get things back on track in the closing minutes of the match after the botched 3 way spot in the corner. Kendrick winds up hitting Sliced Bread on Shelly to get the win and retain the title a bit past the 13 minute mark. Can't say I'm thrilled about the ending but a decent opener nontheless. **1/2

Tara & Miss Tessmacher vs. Sarita & Rosita for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship - Above average Knockout match here. It went about 7 minutes, which is at least twice as long as what we usually see from the Knockouts on tv. Basic stuff mostly with Sarita & Rosita taking turns working Tara over. I thought Sarita & Rosita did a nice job being heels prior to the match with stalling for the purpose of getting under their opponent's skin. However, Tara makes the hot tag to Tessmacher and the action broke down not long after and Tara hit Widows Peak on Rosita for the win. *

Devon vs. The Pope D'Angelo Dinero in a Bound For Glory Series Match - This match didn't really do anything for me. There was some decent action and Devon really has worked on his conditioning. He's probably in the best shape of his life right now. The feud/story between these two just hasn't connected with me and it's kind of hard to get interested in them in the BFG Series as we all know there's no way they're headlining TNA's biggest ppv to challenge the TNA WHC. Near the end of the match, Pope is going for the DDE but stops in the corner, this was after Devon's kids convinced him not to use the chain on Devon, and takes a spear for his trouble. The Pope ulitmately winds up rolling Devon up for the win and getting 7 points in the series. *1/4

Mickie James vs. Winter for the TNA Knockouts Championship - All told, pretty decent match here. It wasn't some classic but it was better than I was expecting. There was some good paced action during the match and Winter managed to keep the botches to a bare minimum. The ending was another one of those examples of ref stupidity. Angelina Love distracts Earl Hebner as Winter spits a red substance into Mickie's face and get the win. Apparently, good ol' Earl saw nothing out of the miss with Mickie's face having this tomato colored substance on it. Winter wins and is the new champ at the 8.5 minute mark. *1/2

Brian Kendrick Interview - This interview is one of many good examples as to why I'm not a fan of Brian Kendrick's character and hate that he's X Division Champion. Austin Aries comes in and cuts a good promo, calling Kendrick & Shelley's view point Girl Scout code of ethics and said the match was a 2 on 1 handicap match more than anything else. Aries said Kendrick wasn't the real champ until he beats him. He handed Kendrick a towel and told him to shower as he looked like he was homeless. Kendrick responded by chuckling and saying, "I'm the X Division Champion" without the slightest bit of passion or conviction. Get the title off this reject soon, please. Thumbs In The Middle.

Rob Van Dam vs. Crimson in a Bound For Glory Series Match - This was kind of a meh match, nothing particularly great about it generally. Earlier, there was a promo segment in which Jerry Lynn, for some strange reason, said he was gonna be watching RVD's back. Which makes total sense as Crimson is known for having people run in to jump his opponents. There was some good action with RVD hitting some of his spots and Crimson hitting some of his signature moves. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash at one point but it wasn't a believable near fall when Crimson kicked out. Why? It came 4 minutes into the match and TNA's built too much time to have Crimson's streak end so easily, even though Lynn tried to sell shock at Crimson kicking out. Crimson does get the win via DQ when he hits Red Sky on RVD. Lynn breaks up the count and gets RVD DQ'd and Crimson only gets 3 points. *1/4

Fortune vs. Immortal - Pretty decent match even though most of it was what you'd expect. There were several instances of the action breaking down and all six guys just pairing off with chaos all over the place while the ref looks on with his thumb up his ass. The only guy that really stood out in the match was AJ Styles. Daniels most notable contribution was taking a table bump he saved Styles from. Again, why is the ref letting that go on exactly? Some good energy from Styles and he pulled off an innovative tweak of the Pele Kick by adding a springboard aspect to it. Fortune gets the win with the move at the 14.5 minute mark. This is one of those matches that just seemed to be there. It served no real purpose because it did accomplished nothing. The feud between the two factions will still be going on. **1/4

Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray - This was a surprisingly good match and, truth be told, the best match on the card up to this point. It was a fun, entertaining brawl that got off to a good start. I don't say that I particularly care about their feud being about who should be the asshole of Immortal, but the feud was entertaining. Anderson landed a few surprising moves and even Bully Ray went to the second rope. It looked as if they may have blown themselves up half way through the match as they both looked kinda gased. Kind of an ugly spot when Anderson tried to hoist up Ray and they went crashing into the ropes. Ray does manage to get the win at the 10 minute mark via a low blow and a roll up. **3/4

Beer Money vs. Mexican America for the TNA World Tag Team Championship - I just wasn't really into this match at all. I can't stand Mexican America. They're bad on the ring, bad on the mic and the fact that they're the #1 contenders for the tag titles is an indicator that the tag team scene in TNA has fallen hard. The crowd was sitting on its hands for most of the match until Beer Money did their little Beer Money dance thingy. Storm winds up hitting a superkick on Anarquia for the win about the 10.5 minute mark. I'm surprised that they didn't drop the titles here. While Beer Money is a great team, they've got no competition. *1/2

Sting vs. Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship - Not a particularly memorable main event but a decent match. It started out slowly and worked up as things went about. Sting slaps on the Scorpion Deathlock about halfway throught he match but I don't think anyone was really buying Angle being in jeopardy. The drama and build up for this match just simply is not there and it's hard to really care. They work for a bit longer until Angle slaps in the ankle lock about 12.5 minutes in. The crowd buys into this near fall a bit more but it still feels paper thin to me. Out comes Hogan, gingerly I might add, with a steel chair. Hogan attempts to hit Sting, Angle takes the chair from Hogan and then hits Sting with it. He rolls him back inside, hits the Angle Slam and wins the title at the 15.5 minute mark. **1/4

Overall Show - This is the 2nd TNA ppv I've ordered in about 2 years and I think that, generally speaking, Meh is how I'd describe the show. There was some good, solid action in several of the matches but there just wasn't the same kind of energy or general build up as there was for Destination X. The X Division Championship opener was a solid match but, honeslty, I enjoyed the 6 minute match between Shelley & Aries on Impact last Thursday more. The Knockout tag title match was above average for a Knockout match but still pretty much nothing that just happened to last longer than average. I care nothing about the strange Pope & Devon situation. The Knockout title match was surprisingly decent, better than I was expecting. Brian Kendrick more than adequately demonstrated in his promo why he should not be the face of the X Division. Crimson vs. RVD felt like it was phoned in. Fortune vs. Immortal had some good action but it was a typical 6 man clusterfuck that ultimately accomplished little to nothing with AJ Styles really the only guy that looked like a star. Anderson vs. Bully Ray was unexpectedly good and was, surprisingly, the best match of the night. Beer Money vs. Mexican America was just kinda bland. The main event, aside from Hogan limping out to ringside, went almost exactly as predicted. You knew a title change was coming weeks before this ppv aired. It wasn't a bad ppv, but I wouldn't call it a good one either. No stand out matches and a few lackluster title changes.

Grade: C-

 

[Papa Pillman]

Is there intended to be a pun in the fact that the show was called "Hardcore" Justice, and what was delivered was a: At times awkward, sloppy, bothchfest, but one that built well and came through with an unexpectedly strong climax??

Just asking.

I thought that the X-division title match never really got going. It was not the best night for any of them. Not even Aries.

I totally think that the RVD/Lynn scenario is setting up RVD not winning the BFG Series, so that he and Lynn can have a "last battle" in Philly, under extreme rules.

I agree that the Bubba/Anderson match was arguably the best of the night. Anderson was the best tonight he's been in a while. It felt like he "was back" to some degree.

I actually thought that the tag title match went pretty well. Better than I expected.

I really enjoyed the main-event, Sting is delivering better matches than it seems he should be capable of with his limted mobility. Atleast his stamina seems to be improving to some degree. Great psychology was displayed. I liked the multiple finisher/stolen finsher spots.

And I expected Angle to win, but not like that.

 

[RkoMachine]

Im gonna start by saying i dont watch TNA at all but i have seen 2 pay per views in the past 2 years for free at a friends house and both of them have been complete shit!

Maybe its because i dont know the storylines! hell im sure that is 50% of the reason but this ppv tonight was so predictable that even i could tell who was going to win half the time!

I just dont get why some of you TNA followers still bash WWE for having shitty ppvs (which they do sometimes) but then pay for this garbage and find some reason to call it better then what the WWE is doing at the moment!

I am not a TNA hater because i dont give a shit enough to hate it i just forget it exists half the time! but tonight made me realize that even if the WWE wasn't doing as great as they are now they are still miles above this pay per view even when they are at their bad stages

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Didn't enjoy this PPV one bit. The matches were sloppy, boring and I don't think any of them told a good story aside from ... well none of them. Tons of botches, the finishes were often more anti-climatic than anything and the Impact Zone was HORRIBLE. 90% of the enjoyment went out the window because of the Cancer Crew. Absolutely dreadful crowd.

The only match I thoroughly enjoyed was for the X-Division title. I found the finish of the World Title match to be interesting and I understand why it had to happen like that, looking forward to Thursday. Everything else was just not good.

 

[Inittowinit]

They really need to go on the road for the pay per views. The crowd in the Impact Zone is like a shitty tv show audience. The crowd can help or hurt a show. When the show crowd makes it seem boring it comes off that way on the television. The NC tapings were so much better, had a better "live" feel. That hurt the PPV for me.

 

[GrandSword]

I haven't seen the show, only read the results.. but I can't even defend this...

Let me get this straight, Angle just joined up with Immortal, the same stable Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett belongs to...

Is that right? Wasn't Angle and Steiner part of them with Crimson to fight Immortal? Is that right? Didn't Angle give Sting back the title from someone already in Immortal? Is that right?

What else is there to say? Fire Russo? Fire Bischoff? Fire Dixie? Meh, I don't know, just when I thought TNA was going well, they pull this... same old TNA, they always do well for two months and then ruin it.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I haven't seen the show, only read the results.. but I can't even defend this...

Let me get this straight, Angle just joined up with Immortal, the same stable Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett belongs to...

Is that right? Wasn't Angle and Steiner part of them with Crimson to fight Immortal? Is that right? Didn't Angle give Sting back the title from someone already in Immortal? Is that right?

What else is there to say? Fire Russo? Fire Bischoff? Fire Dixie? Meh, I don't know, just when I thought TNA was going well, they pull this... same old TNA, they always do well for two months and then ruin it.

This is why you should watch it before drawing any conclusions. But to clarify.

Angle didn't join Immortal. What happened was this:

The match was going on, there was a ref bump, Hogan came down with a chair and was getting ready to whack Sting with it. Kurt sneaked from behind and took the chair away from him, Hogan GTFO'd up the ramp, Angle was giving him mean looks and talking at him angrily, then he turns around and whacks Sting with the chair for the 3. They show a shot of Hogan giving Angle an angry look.

The reason why Angle did what he did is simple. Angle wanted to face Sting one on one without ANY interferences. That's how he wanted this match to go. Alas, Hogan INTERFERED, therefore the match was ruined for Kurt so out of anger he laid Sting out with the chair and took the belt because that's what he was there to do in the first place. How he won didn't matter to him anymore, it was ruined, he just had to win because "he has no other choice".

Angle said it time and time again that he can't be bought, and he isn't. Now the entire WWE section told me to "wait, see what happens and enjoy the storyline" when I bitched about Punk coming back, and guess what - they were right. I overreacted and everything was explained next week. That's what I suggest you should do. Wait it out, see what happens and don't point fingers. They didn't ruin anything, didn't fuck anything up. It's not the "same old TNA", it's the same old ridicule without even seeing the show for yourself so you know how exactly it went down in detail.

 

[s3machine]

I more than enjoy TNA when theyre at their finest.. but sadly tonight.. they not only werent at their finest.. but this might have been one of their worst collective showings of all time.

The Botches: You know.. botches happen to everyone.. everywhere.. from the indies to the E.. but there was a few big botches in some key spots.. what bothered me wasn't the botches themselves.. but the fact that the wrestlers didn't do anything to try and recover in anyway afterwards.. most noticeably Anderson and Kendrick..and what bothers me even more is the way Mike Tenay tries to cover up and say how they meant to do the botched move.. or how an injured limb caused it.. I mean seriously? Tenay is such a fucking tool. He cant play the role of the face or heel properly.. and hes literally trying to insult everyone's intelligence.. How in the world is this guy always employed? He just flat out sucks.. Thats the one thing Ive always respected about Jerry Lawler.. When there's a botch. He calls it out. He will even literally go as far and say.. "ooh.. that was botched." Tenay needs to GTFO already.. Let Borash sit in with Taz.. that would be a great team.

The crowd: Oh boy.. Tonight was the epitome of when people say that a crowd can make or break an event.. now I don't think that a miracle could have saved this event.. but the goofs in attendance definitely didn't help either.. Were people super glued to their seats with their mouths taped closed? TNA really needs to get the hell out of the iMPACT Zone! already.. Its becoming boring and repetitive.. The atmosphere was just dead.. and you cant have a dead atmosphere for a PPV of all things.. and why the hell is a PPV at the same place they tape TV anyway? you hit the road for house shows.. you couldnt have done the same for a PPV with the main event of Angle vs Sting? and speaking of the crowd.. there was what.. 2 or 3 signs total in the crowd? lol.. You don't have to make the entire crowd hold up a banner but it would help if the place wouldn't mimic a library.

The matches: Again.. nothing really special to see here.. The best match of the night was surprisingly Bully Ray vs Anderson. Botch or not they put on a great show.. They told a good story in the ring.. and with the roll up victory it leaves room for the feud to continue.. Everyone else must have missed the memo that tonight was a PAY PER VIEW EVENT. I mean seriously.. What was so Hardcore about Hardcore Justice? and I dont know how anyone else feels .. but the fact that you have 2 knockouts matches is just absurd. I dont care how much better they are than the WWE Divas divison.. NOBODY wants to watch 2 matches involving nothing but women unless there stripping and or having some sort of sexual interaction in one of them. The time could have been divided up better to maybe give your X Division guys (who are arguably the best talents on the roster) more than 12 minutes or so to work with to open things up. I knew we were in for a long night when the opening match, X Division and all.. plain and simply, sucked. Thats another thing I have to give the nod to WWE for.. lately they have been opening up PPVs with great matches.. It really sets the tone for the rest of the night.. If you can really grab your audiences attention during the first match.. then youve got em hooked for the rest of night.. but instead they went from a mediocre opening match, to a knockouts tag team match.. and if anyone still cared at this point TNA unleashed the ultimate sleeping aid with Devon vs Pope.. I mean seriously.. Who the hell is Booking this shit? They might as well have handed out free Xanax to everyone watching.. Atleast then they would have had an excuse for all those who were falling asleep.


.. I rate the show a 5/10 and I honestly believe I'm being generous.. Did it have some good moments? They're was a cool spot or 2.. and sadly.. that's about it. Angle taking the belt was my favorite part of the whole show. but fucking a man.. everything aside from Bully Ray and Anderson was just boring and bland.. I didn't even bother pausing the DVR when I would go to the bathroom.. and I usually hit pause even if its a 30 second piss stop.. I'm not a TNA hater.. or a WWE smark.. I'm a wrestling fan.. and I would commend a great event just like I would criticize a shitty one no matter who the promoter or company was that was putting on the show.. and there is just no way I can defend the crap that was Hardcore Justice.. It will be interesting to see what iMPACT is going to be like on Thursday because TNA really has some cleaning up to do.

 

[Rasha]

I just dont get why some of you TNA followers still bash WWE for having shitty ppvs (which they do sometimes) but then pay for this garbage and find some reason to call it better then what the WWE is doing at the moment!

Pay for it? Who paid for it?!

What kills me about a show likes this is that when you have a Main Event like Sting vs. Angle, which on name value alone can carry the card and perhaps draw in some casual fans, you really should be upping your game. This was not the night to bury guys like Styles and Daniels in a mixed tag match, or two have Beer Money wasting time against the Mexicans.

You could have tweaked a few things and had a much better card. For example:

AJ Styles vs. Mr Anderson
Christopher Daniels vs. Bully Ray
Beer Money vs. Abyss/Gunner

Rather than have Ray and Anderson going after each other so quickly, put them in similar matches against two guys from Fortune. Have one guy win and the other lose, giving them even more reason to go after each other and fight for the leadership of Immortal. It would have given Styles and Daniels, two of your best, more opportunity to shine.

Instead of a pointless program with the Mexicans, why not have Immortal send their two biggest physical threats after the tag belts? You could have had the same "Abyss drops the ball" story here, but at the same time given Beer Money more to work with.

 

[.]

This PPV didn't impress me much apart from a few things. For one it showed me that Bully Ray is probably the best heel in wrestling right now. Not only did Bully Ray manage to deliver a better monologue than Mr. Anderson (who delivered a juvenile diatribe that was so atrocious that it could end up being the worst speaking segment of the year), but he managed to beat Anderson in their match using a well-timed low blow behind the ref’s back. Ray is the best antagonist in TNA(& wrestling for that matter since CM Punk turned face) today; he has great mic skills and he does his best to conceal the flaws in his limited in-ring skills by accentuating his brawling ability and cowardice. Critics (including myself) believed that there was no way that Ray could have a successful singles career, but the Bully Ray act is doing wonders for him—and at this stage of his career, anything that Ray can do to extend and improve his career is a good thing.

The X-division three way match was good but it felt underwhelming and their chemistry was off. There seemed to be a Death Device/Sliced Bread #2 spot coming at one point but Kendrick slipped on the rope and they tried to improvise by having Kendrick hitting SB on Aeries landing on Shelly. The match also saw a somewhat unusual storyline: Kendrick and Shelley did their best to turn Aries into a non-factor while competing against each other, since Aries does not share the same “spirit of competition” that the rest of the X-Division does. Later in the night Kendrick was interviewed and was being his usual mystical/out of it self but Aries interrupted him setting us up for next months feud and Aries delivered the best parting insult to Kendrick which was also the best line of the show: “Go take a shower, you look like you’re homeless.”

 

[Dizzy]

Pay for it? Who paid for it?!

Oh look, the same guy that would complain if the PPV did low or high buys but condones not paying for a PPV. Cute.

What kills me about a show likes this is that when you have a Main Event like Sting vs. Angle, which on name value alone can carry the card and perhaps draw in some casual fans, you really should be upping your game. This was not the night to bury guys like Styles and Daniels in a mixed tag match, or two have Beer Money wasting time against the Mexicans.

Yeah, because let's throw out all storylines built up going into the PPV because of what YOU want to see right?

You could have tweaked a few things and had a much better card. For example:

AJ Styles vs. Mr Anderson
Christopher Daniels vs. Bully Ray
Beer Money vs. Abyss/Gunner

Why the fuck would they do that? None of them have a feud going on and none of them have had a reason to feud.

This is a perfect example of a 10%ers logic.

Rather than have Ray and Anderson going after each other so quickly, put them in similar matches against two guys from Fortune. Have one guy win and the other lose, giving them even more reason to go after each other and fight for the leadership of Immortal. It would have given Styles and Daniels, two of your best, more opportunity to shine.

Shine for what? People know who the fuck they are. TNA is building up other people. Not them.

It goes against the building feud between Styles and Daniels which would translate to a PPV match at BFG. There's the chance to shine. Not at a throw away PPV.

Instead of a pointless program with the Mexicans, why not have Immortal send their two biggest physical threats after the tag belts?

Because, they are trying to slowly kill off Immortal not build it?

You could have had the same "Abyss drops the ball" story here, but at the same time given Beer Money more to work with.

Giving Beer Money more work? They are trying to break them up into singles wrestlers.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I thought that this was a good show. TNA may be bad at advertising or generating interest for their PPV events but they usually end up being pretty entertaining. I got every single match prediction correct except for Winter winning the Knockouts Championship. The match of the night for me would be either the X Division title match or the world title match. I give the show a B- because we got 9 matches in a decent show although none really stood out much. One of TNA's better shows so far this year.

 

[Rasha]

Oh look, the same guy that would complain if the PPV did low or high buys but condones not paying for a PPV. Cute.

When... THE FUCK... have I ever made a comment about a PPV buyrate? Find it for me, please. I double dog dare ya.

Yeah, because let's throw out all storylines built up going into the PPV because of what YOU want to see right?

Obviously, by changing the card I'm assuming that the storylines going into the PPV would also change. Would I seriously suggest that they build-up a Beer Money/Mexican America match and then not have the match? Of course not!

Why the fuck would they do that? None of them have a feud going on and none of them have had a reason to feud.

This is a perfect example of a 10%ers logic.

Did I dream that Fortune interrupted Immortal's promo last Thursday? Was the Six-Man tag not booked because of the feud between the two stables? Are you really so desperate here that you'd say something that moronic? THE STABLES ARE FEUDING! It's been all over Impact for months! There's PERFECT logic in booking those matches.

Shine for what? People know who the fuck they are. TNA is building up other people. Not them.

Building up who; Mexican America? You concerned about Anarquia's unrealized potential? My re-booked card featured all of the same guys minus the Mexicans, Kazarian, and Steiner.

It goes against the building feud between Styles and Daniels which would translate to a PPV match at BFG. There's the chance to shine. Not at a throw away PPV.

Personally, I'd like my favorite wrestlers to shine at EVERY PPV they're a part of. But I guess I'm crazy like that.

And sorry if you disagree, but I saw no momentous event happen in the Styles/Daniels storyline last night. Yes, Daniels took the bullet for AJ with that table spot from Gunner. But that moment could have been replicated in any number of ways and done on basically any night of Impact.

Meanwhile, instead of rushing into that Ray/Anderson fight, the two matches could have allowed for a better build-up of that feud while also showcasing two great in-ring talents in Styles and Daniels. If you have one working brain cell you know that guys like Styles and Daniels are more impressive over the length of a singles match than in a clustered mixed tag.

And again, how does improving the quality of a PPV hurt the company? Maybe with better booking, you wouldn't have "throw away" events.

Because, they are trying to slowly kill off Immortal not build it?

Exactly... SLOWLY. But in the interim, why not make the most of it? How does having Abyss and Gunner wrestle Beer Money at one PPV, and losing, suddenly prolong Immortal's existence? Explain that one to me.

Giving Beer Money more work? They are trying to break them up into singles wrestlers.

I meant in the short-term. Why not utilize two of your best workers with a better quality match and storyline than that waste of time? Nothing about a match against two Immortal guys would have changed anything about their eventual singles pushes as opposed to the match with Mexican America.

Not sure why you decided to attack my post bro, but next time come with something better.

 

[GrandSword]

This is why you should watch it before drawing any conclusions. But to clarify.

Angle didn't join Immortal. What happened was this:

The match was going on, there was a ref bump, Hogan came down with a chair and was getting ready to whack Sting with it. Kurt sneaked from behind and took the chair away from him, Hogan GTFO'd up the ramp, Angle was giving him mean looks and talking at him angrily, then he turns around and whacks Sting with the chair for the 3. They show a shot of Hogan giving Angle an angry look.

The reason why Angle did what he did is simple. Angle wanted to face Sting one on one without ANY interferences. That's how he wanted this match to go. Alas, Hogan INTERFERED, therefore the match was ruined for Kurt so out of anger he laid Sting out with the chair and took the belt because that's what he was there to do in the first place. How he won didn't matter to him anymore, it was ruined, he just had to win because "he has no other choice".

Angle said it time and time again that he can't be bought, and he isn't. Now the entire WWE section told me to "wait, see what happens and enjoy the storyline" when I bitched about Punk coming back, and guess what - they were right. I overreacted and everything was explained next week. That's what I suggest you should do. Wait it out, see what happens and don't point fingers. They didn't ruin anything, didn't fuck anything up. It's not the "same old TNA", it's the same old ridicule without even seeing the show for yourself so you know how exactly it went down in detail.

Thanks for explaining it that way, appreciate it. Does this than mean that Angle will set up a rematch as he wants to beat Sting fair and square...

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Thanks for explaining it that way, appreciate it. Does this than mean that Angle will set up a rematch as he wants to beat Sting fair and square...

That's the conclusion I made after I thought about it. I mean, they do need one last guy for Kurt to face at the next PPV and this is a fine way to set that one up so there's a motive and a story to the match, not just Sting's contractually obligated rematch after losing the belt.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

I didn't think the PPV was that bad when I watched it. It was nothing on the last PPV I saw (Slammiversary) but I didn't think it was terrible either. Just your standard PPV really. I do think filming PPVs in the iMPACT Zone hurts TNA. Although saying that, Slammiversary was filmed there and that was one of the best PPVs I've seen in the last few years. After Bound For Glory surely every PPV has to be filmed on the road? It's not as though they couldn't sell tickets travelling the States. I'd assume they'd attract crowds of at least 5000 for a PPV. And why not even throw in some advertising and they could no doubt attract more.

As for Hardcore Justice itself, they should've reverted back to just Hard Justice. The opener for the X-Division Title was a fairly decent match with Austin Aries star (pun intended) shining brighest. Aries has shown he is the future of that division and has established himself almost instantly. Aries pretty much comanded the match and even when he was on the outside it was still about him. The failed Tower of Doom at the end was a bit of a shame but the finish with Kendrick Slice Breading Aries on Shelley and then pinning Shelley was a good way to end. It left Aries with a claim to not being beaten which he later told Kendrick. I would love to see Aries win the X Title at No Surrender and then flat out dominate.

Devon vs. The Pope just continued the story they've got going on really. But I've got to say how great Devon is looking these days. He's worked really hard at this singles run (just like Bully) and I'm hoping he succeeds. I'm still not sure why Devon hates Pope so much so I'm glad they got this out the way and Devon now seems to have some respect for Pope. I think they would be much better if they watched each others back and wrestled occasionaly as a tag team to get up the BFG Standings. I don't know how far Devon's boys are into their training but there's a pretty decent basis for a stable there.

Crimson vs. Rob Van Dam wasn't as good as I'd anticipated. And I'm not a fan of announcing Crimson as undefeated as it basically tells you he's not going to lose by pinfall. And that may have affected the match? It seemed a little slow for a Van Dam match as well. I thought RVD would win this one by DQ, with someone attacking RVD to gain him the points (was hoping to see Bill Alfonso again), and when Jerry Lynn showed up it seemed likely. It went the other way though with Lynn costing RVD the match and a chunk of points. And I liked what I saw in another thread about this possibly leading to RVD vs Jerry Lynn, extreme rules, in Philly. If it does lead to that, this match goes up a lot in my estimation.

Fortune vs. Immortal was exactly what it was announced as "6 Man Tag Team Mayhem". They went right at it and it was a really enjoyable match IMO. And the way Gunner snatched that sign from the fan made me laugh. He seemed proper pissed. I thought Gunner would've been given a prominent role in this match but everyone gave as good as they got. And I think the reason I enjoyed the match as much as I did was because of the classic powerhouse versus high flyer storytelling. There was also some good action in the match and the springboard sequence from Fortune was pretty cool to. Also enjoyed seeing AJ light the place up. Imagine AJ doing sequences like that in front of a proper live crowd, the reaction would be so much different. The springboard Pele was a sweet way to end the match. With Daniels going through the table for AJ and Abyss getting pinned, it'll be interesting to see how those situations develop.

Bully Ray vs. Mr Anderson shouldn't have happened as soon as it did IMO. But both men put on a good show and with Ray winning how he did, it doesn't really resolve much so perhaps the timing is irrelevant? Bully Ray and Anderson have some pretty good chemistry, epecially on the mic, and I'm enjoying what they're doing. I'd like to see these two continue to be at each others throats culminating in a no1 contenders match at Bound For Glory. I want to see Bully Ray as the Champion as soon as possible but would prefer someone like Gunner, AJ Styles or James Storm to win the BFG Series.

Mexican America vs. Beer Money was a decent tag team match and I'm glad Beer Money retained the Titles here. I don't think Mexican American are as bad as some make out but they certainly don't seem like threats to Beer Money. Hernandez looked pretty decent but Anarquia is far from portrayed in the same light. He really could do with not just being the partner who gets beat up to make them seem like more of a threat. Immortal need to bring back the Hardys and have them go after Beer Money and Team Team Titles.

Kurt Angle vs. Sting was probably the most intriguing match of the night. The World Title was anyones for the taking in this one. Both men looked as though they could win, and would win, but ultimately Kurt Angle became the new World Champion. Sting and Angle trying to defeat one another with their own moves was good to see but you know neither guy is losing like that. The way the match ended might not have been how Angle wanted to win the Title but he got the job done. And it will be interesting to see how Angle reacts to the way he became TNA World Champion.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Hardcore Justice 2011​

Brian Kendrick VS Alex Shelley VS Austin Aries- TNA X-Division Championship

This was a decent enough opening match. This one did feel sloppy at times, because there were some botches here and there, but there was some solid action in this match. Everyone in this match gave a good effort, this one was pretty physical, because this match did feature some high impact moves, and this match did have a nice and steady pace. I was expecting more fast paced action in this match, but for the most part, everything worked well here. Kendrick remaining champion isn’t a bad choice, because he can deliver some solid matches, and he can be an entertaining character. Match Rating: 6/10

Sarita & Rosita VS Ms. Tessmacher & Tara- TNA Knockout Tag Team Championships

I was pleasantly surprised by this match. There was some decent back and forth action here, and both teams did display some pretty good teamwork. Usually, the Knockout Tag Team Champions have forgettable reigns, but Tara and Tessmacher look like a decent enough team so far. Nothing spectacular happened here, but this was an okay Knockouts match. Match Rating: 5/10

The Pope VS Devon- Bound For Glory Series Match

Pretty average match here. This match did have a nice and steady pace, but most of the time, everything felt so basic. And at times it felt like Devon and Pope were going through the motions. Overall, I thought this was kind of dull, and I just couldn’t get into this. Also, this storyline between Devon and Pope hasn’t done anything for me. Match Rating: 5/10

Winter/With Angelina Love VS Mickie James- TNA Knockouts Championship

I didn’t care for this match. Winter spit some red mist in Mickie’s face to capture the title. This was a nice little surprise at the very end, but it wasn’t enough to save this match. Angelina’s constant interference was very annoying, and the rhythm just wasn’t there in this match. It felt like they were just going through the motions here, and this was a another average match that I didn’t want to care about. Winter is the new Knockouts Champion now, and it’ll be interesting to see how her run turns out. Mickie has seen her fair share of spotlight in TNA, and she is a big name in women’s wrestling, so I don’t think she’ll fade away into obscurity, and she should receive some meaningful material. Match Rating: 4/10

RVD/With Jerry Lynn VS Crimson- Bound For Glory Series Match

Meh. This wasn‘t bad at all, but this match didn‘t do anything for me. Although, there was some solid back and forth action in this one, and this one was pretty physical. Lynn’s interference at the end felt kind of weird, but he was at ringside, and he was there to “watch RVD’s back” so I guess you had to expect some type of involvement from him. Obviously, RVD wasn’t too happy about Lynn’s involvement here, but where could TNA be going with this? Seeing RVD and Lynn wrestle each other once in a while is a nice nostalgia treat, and the match feels special, but I wouldn’t want to see a full blown feud. Crimson is still undefeated, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went into Bound For Glory as the #1 contender. He is receiving a massive push, Bound For Glory is right around the corner, and Crimson’s momentum swing hasn’t slowed down yet. Match Rating: 6/10

A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, & Kaz VS Abyss, Gunner, & Scott Steiner

I thought this was a pretty solid match. There was a good amount of action here, both teams showcased some good teamwork, this match had a nice steady pace, and the Daniels/Gunner table spot did look very painful and dangerous. I’m glad Fortune picked up the win here, because I want to see them gain more momentum. Fortune is a good stable, but Immortal is just awful. Fortune can use the boost, because they are the better stable. Abyss was chewed out by Gunner and Steiner after the match. Gunner and Steiner were obliviously upset at the monster for costing them the match. Abyss didn’t look too happy, and I hope this isn’t a sign of an Abyss face turn, because Abyss can be dreadful as a face. He’s a lot more entertaining as the violent and scary monster. Match Rating: 7/10

Bully Ray VS Mr. Anderson

Wow. This match took me by surprise, because I was expecting something bad here, but Ray and Anderson delivered one hell of a match. This match had a nice flow, this one did have good competitive feel, and this match was pretty physical. Ray has done a fantastic job with his heel character this year, and he continues to deliver. I think Anderson is pretty average overall, and TNA has given him his fair share of pushes, so it might be time for him to go to the back of the line. Giving Ray a chance in the World Championship picture somewhere down the line wouldn’t hurt, and I hope TNA will take a chance on him. Match Rating: 7/10

Beer Money VS Mexican America- TNA World Heavyweight Tag Team Championships

This match had a standard feeling most of the time, but I still think everything worked well here. This match did have a good flow, and the teamwork on both sides was pretty impressive. As usual, Beer Money looked very good here, and I can’t remember the last time they had a bad match. Although, the outcome was kind of predictable, because I never believed Mexican America had a chance here. Still, this was an entertaining match. The Beer Money train keeps chugging along, but what else can Roode and Storm do as a team? They’ve already had a handful of great matches as a tag team, they have defeated all of their challengers, and they have dominated TNA’s tag team division for a long time. Roode and Storm are phenomenal as a tag team, but Beer Money can’t stay together forever. Match Rating: 7/10

Kurt Angle VS Sting- TNA World Heavyweight Championship

I didn’t have high expectations for this match, but Angle VS Sting was a very solid world championship match. There was some solid back and forth action between these two, and this match did have a nice little grueling pace. I wasn’t too crazy about Hogan’s appearance, but I guess you had to expect some sort of shenanigans after the ref went down. Although, I was kind of surprised, when Angle blasted Sting in the back with the chair. I thought Angle would do the right thing, because he does” respect” Sting, so I thought Angle would pick up a clean win here. Angle might be heading down the heel path again, and I don’t think I would have a problem with this. Angle can play the heel role pretty well, and a change would feel refreshing. As far as Kurt being champ goes, I guess you can say it’s a good move. Angle can still deliver some good and solid matches, and he might surprise us with a classic every now and then, so I don’t have a problem with this. Match Rating: 7/10

Overall Show Rating 5/10: Overall, this was a pretty decent show. Hardcore Justice featured a nice set of solid matches, but at times, it felt like this show was dragging, and there were times, where I was waiting for this one to be over. This show did feel dull sometimes, but this wasn’t horrible. Also, I thought this show was better than last year’s “trip down ECW memory lane show,” because Hardcore Justice 2010 was a terrible show.