Slammiversary XI AJ Styles v. Kurt Angle

[It's Damn Real!]

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Slammiversary XI
AJ Styles v. Kurt Angle

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[YOUTUBE]p2vWqqvXjog[/YOUTUBE]

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All discussion here.​

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

How? How did we get to Styles Vs Angle. I'll need to do a little rewind on Impact but this is great, these have always been great. They always bring the best outta each other.

#mildlyexcited

 

[Dan Severn's Moustache]

Got a feeling Styles will win this one. I think he's in line for another push after the A&8'S storyline and a win over Angle will be a great starting point for that. It'll also make Styles's allegiance more crucial during this storyline, as both sides need him to help them. I could see Angle winning too, but Styles is much more likely to in my eyes.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

How? How did we get to Styles Vs Angle. I'll need to do a little rewind on Impact but this is great, these have always been great. They always bring the best outta each other.

#mildlyexcited

It's been building for the last two weeks, if my memory serves correct. Following a match he won, Angle, following suit from Hogan, questioned AJ Styles on his loyalty after asking him to the ring. He tried to recruit AJ back to TNA by talking about how despite never telling him before, AJ was the reason he came to the company. Styles walked away and pissed Angle off for another week until this past weeks' episode where he actually attacked him after the tease that he's joining Aces and Eights (even came from their separate entrance area).

I know it's not the best build possible, but Angle/AJ will undoubtedly give you a fantastic match, which accounts for plenty. Despite not being the best story, this match has the ability to steal the show based on talent level alone.

 

[Notorious718]

We've seen this match quite a few times in the past. It's headlined pay per views and Impact shows they've never disappointed me. Sure the build isn't fantastic but I'm willing to let it slide because it's freaking AJ Styles and Kurt Angle one on one which is likely to be the match of the night. I'm liking the direction TNA is taking with AJ's character as the deciding factor in the war between TNA and Aces & Eights. So logically, I would think that in order to further reinforce that point they would have AJ go over in this match. Regardless of the winner, I'm looking forward to a great match here. Really excited for this one.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

I'm really looking forward to this one. With D-Lo about to get kicked out of Aces & Eights they could easily slide AJ into the VP spot (though I see Anderson taking over as the VP.) I'd be surprised to see Kurt win this one unless AJ joins Aces & Eights and that leads to a DQ.

 

[hardy8778]

First of all Kurt does not win this match neither does AJ Styles i mean since Aj has returned he has been Just like sting was when he was feuding with the NWO when they were trying to recriut Sting he wouldn't give them a straight answer and when sting started fighting for wcw they had the Nwo face him almost every week and attack him after every match i see Aj becoming a new age sting and Anderson will interfere just to get beat down by angle and cause a double dq

 

[JulesWagner]

AJ vs Angle one more time and it can never be a bad thing. I'm curious to see this one especially because of the direction AJ has taken. Granted, the new AJ has given us only one match but the vibe was different. From the little we've seen, he already seems more ruthless and it reflects on his in-ring style, with a new submission to back it up. His match against Kurt can easily cement that. I dare even imagine, though unlikely, a submission victory over Angle would be huge.

Needless to say, for AJ's sake, he CANNOT lose this match. At least not cleanly. For quite a while, he has pretty much taken a backseat to everyone and everything so bringing him back now to have him lose would be absolutely ludicrous. This match should be a great opening salvo for the new era of phenomenal, give him the ball and see how he runs with it.

 

[HBsam31]

AJ needs to win this match to keep this storyline going in the right direction. I am always happy to see a match between Kurt and AJ, and this one will be great as well. I don't see AJ joining Aces and Eights, but they could tease it with them interfering on his behalf giving him the win over Kurt Angle. I don't think AJ can afford to lose this match and I think it is likely he will win in the way I said.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Ok so I did a little rewind, and well its sucky. The build absolutely sucky. I know that both of'em can carry a match on skill and repute but seriously, this is just a throwdown.

Plus AJ as a brooding leather druid doesn't suit him at all. To be honest I am not sold on AJ stopping a heel faction like the A & 8s, I'm not high on Abyss, coz I saw his return and he's gotten real slow and fat. Too many lawyer matches. I hope all this builds to Storm taking on Bully at BFG, as Storm is really the only TNA guy I can get behind.

 

[Agent2.0]

In my opinion aj styles will win the match then aces & eights will attack angle in the post match assault,aj will then walk away as angle scream at aj to help,styles gets back in the ring later DOC gives aj the ball peen hammer as it will look like styles is gonna hit angle,aj rather hits it at aces & eights he then hits the styles clash at some member of the faction (probably wes or garrett) he later does his signature pose as everyone including angle is shocked and happy to see aj styles back to his old self

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I really don't know who will win this. On the one hand, AJ could win to show he means business, but on the other Angle could beat him, causing AJ to go even more over the edge and join A&8's which plays into the redemption thing. Nevertheless I'm really looking forward to see Angle face this new AJ Styles who seems more of a brawler going by the match with Storm.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

for me this is probably the easiest match of the night to call. TNA look set to really give AJ a push over the next few months, with the Phenomenal one getting a shot a Bully Ray eventully. So it would make no sence to have him loss to angle in this matchy as it would take away all momentum from styles. I am also fully expecting this to be the match of the night and after Kurt took that shot to the leg from AJ this last week I could see Angle carrying that injury into the match and Kurt taping out to Styles new submission hold for the finish.

 

[KettleFace]

I can't see any scenario in which Angle comes out victorious in this one. AJ's character is more interesting than it's been in a long time, and it'd just be stupid for him to lose here when there's so much left that he can accomplish in this tweener role he's currently in. I wouldn't be surprised to see this ending in a double DQ, but I'm hoping that AJ wins off of an Aces & Eights distraction, further blurring the line as to which side he's is really on.

 

[multiverseman.com]

I can't see any scenario in which Angle comes out victorious in this one. AJ's character is more interesting than it's been in a long time, and it'd just be stupid for him to lose here when there's so much left that he can accomplish in this tweener role he's currently in. I wouldn't be surprised to see this ending in a double DQ, but I'm hoping that AJ wins off of an Aces & Eights distraction, further blurring the line as to which side he's is really on.

Yeah that would've made sense.

However, it's TNA we're dealing with here.

So of course they do the absolute dumbest thing possible and put Angle over AJ. Do you remember when Sting took on the NWO singlehandedly that whole year and before the big match with Hogan at Starcade, he lost that match to Luger? No? That's because it didn't happen. Because they aren't complete idiots.

It's hard to defend TNA sometimes and this is one of them.

 

[Ovaltine]

well they just completely killed off the mystic of AJ. Now he's just another guy on the roster. No one can defend this company for doing this and if you do you're not only dumb you're a brain dead mark!

 

[LSN80]

The booking of this confused me.

I understand that Kurt Angle was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but that was real, not part of a storyline.This storyline almost demanded that Styles win, simply because it was his first major match since his character change. I know he beat Storm on Impact, but it was important for him to continue that momentum by winning this match. He wasn't beaten decisively, so I can live with that, but he still should have beaten Angle, I feel.

As for the match, it was your typical Angle/Styles match, which is always a good thing. AJ's new style is an enjoyable one, a hybrid of his fast paced past combined with a slower, methodical style. I really liked him using the Calf Killer on several occasions, and I hope he uses it more. They seemed to be in a feeling out process for half the match, but really kicked things into high gear in the second half.

I imagine we'll see these two go at it again in the Bound For Glory Series, perhaps in the finals. Styles is my pick to win the thing, and I feel it will be a waste if he doesn't. Other then Bully Ray, Styles is the best character going in Impact Wrestling, and Styles vs. Ray for the title would be the best possible scenario at Bound For Glory.

Bottom line, this was another very good match between two men who know each other well. I would have preferred Styles going over, but I imagine he'll get his win back at some point, likely the finals of the BFG series.. ***3/4.