TheOneBigWill's 'take' on T.N.A. Genesis, January 11th, 2009:
1. 6-Man Elimination Tag Team Match: Eric Young & L.A.X. v. Sonjay Dutt, Jimmy Rave & Kiyoshi:
Before the Pay per view it was reported that this was originally suppose to be an 8 man tag team contest. The two individuals taken from the match were Lance Rock, and Cute Kip. (who later we find out why. lol)
I'll be the first to admit I half-assed watched this match. This is T.N.A.'s answer to how to help struggling ratings. "Let's just slap all the remaining talent in a huge tag cluster."
Basically put, this match helped noone except Hernandez.
In the end, it came down to all three members of the heel side of things, against big Hernandez. And wouldn't you know it, the big man holding a World title shot opportunity, eliminates all three cruiserweights and wins the match for his team.
Winners: Eric Young & L.A.X.
2. X-Division Championship Finals: Chris Saban v. Alex Shelley:
Match of the Night! I knew this match would not disappoint (barring creative) and thankfully it definately DID NOT! What a match, and the only two parts of it that I wish could've been slightly different were the commentary of Don West.. in which he continuously said "At least this is such a great match, it keeps our minds off Rhino & Kevin Nash not being here." (well, it WOULD be a great match if you'd shut the fuck up already and enjoy it.)
The other issue I had, was the finish of the match. Here you have arguably the best two (active) X-Division Superstars going one-on-one, and the ending is a sneaky roll-up. I'm not arguing that it'll continue a storyline, and possibly drive a wedge between the Guns.. but the match was so great, it deserved a better ending than that. A roll-up would've been fine, just not the way it happened, that's all I'm saying. Overall though, best match of the night, bar-none. Shelley deserves the title, and I'm glad he got it.
Winner & NEW X-Division Champion: Alex Shelley
3. Grudge Match: Shane Sewell v. Sheik Abdul Bashir:
You can laugh, you can snicker, you can do anything you want.. but this was literally one of the matches I wanted to see. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped it'd turn out to be.
Keep in mind, I didn't actually think it was going to be "amazing" to begin with, but even for average expectations, it still didn't draw that. The thing I thought was a bit silly.. Shane Sewell, just because he was a (former) referee, doesn't mean he has to represent them through his attire. He was apparently a wrestler before being an official, are you telling me he dressed like that as a wrestler pre-hand? bah.
The thing I find funny about officials-turned-wrestlers is that they should know the rules, so they'll either break them by doing things how they know officials can't check, or they'll follow the rules. Sewell did neither. He broke the rules, but blatantly, which was stupid.
In the end, it was the in-ring official, Earl Hebner, who helped Sewell get a victory. Knowing T.N.A., this should push forward the expected Hebner v. Bashir, Bound For Glory match-up that's expected to send ratings through the roof.
Winner: Shane Sewell
4. Triple Threat Tag Team Championships: Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed (c) v. Matt Morgan & Abyss v. Beer Money, Inc.:
Tied with being the second best match of the night. I had hope that this match would be classic, and it honestly was.
The in-match rivalry is setting up to be Matt Morgan against Abyss, and by match's end, that's definately the way I believe it'll go. Lethal Consequences is a good tag team, and I'm definately believing they'll be Champions again, but tonight wasn't their night, and the tandem of Beer and Money does it again.
I thought this was honestly one of the best tag team contests I've seen in a while. A lot of nice double team, tag team warfare going on. Even the double team on Jackie was hilarious.. Roode thought so too.
In the end, the victory set up a possible Lethal/Creed v. Beer Money feud, because it was Morgan (w/ help from Abyss by accident) who took the pinfall loss to Beer Money, to help them regain what they lost unjustly.
Winners & NEW Tag Team Champions: Beer Money, Inc.
5. 6-Knockout Tag Team Match: O.D.B., Roxxi & Taylor Wilde v. Kong-tourage:
Several different reports had Kong defending her Championship against another opponent. Apparently from the time that was reported, up until the Pay per view started they changed their minds. It was then reported that the individual who picks up the pinfall, on the face side that is, would earn a Championship shot down the road. (*cough* iMPACT! *cough*)
I have next to nothing to say about this match-up. First, Taylor Wilde is a thing of the past and realistically and likely on her way to becoming a stepping stone for every other heel Knockout in the company. Second, why the fuck is Sojourner (dispise the name) Bolt even being an on-air Knockout? Really? The Beautiful People couldn't of somehow made their way into this match? Really..
Finally, Roxxi.. poor, poor Roxxi. Here's a girl who had her head shaved, and since hasn't gotten shit for it other than likely a single status in the relationship column. Why can't T.N.A. fricken at least give her a solid CHANCE to win the damn title. Hell, I'm not even saying for her TO win the title, I'm just saying for all she's done.. a title SHOT is at least worth mentioning. Instead, it's O.D.B. who picks up the victory and likely soon to be the next Champion.
After the match, Kong comes out, a brawl happens with everyone and the Kong-tourage leaves the faces laying.
Winners: O.D.B., Roxxi & Taylor Wilde
6. Return Match: Jeff Jarrett v. Kurt Angle:
Tied for second best match of the night. I had doubts that Jarrett & Angle could even remotely have another decent match, and I was pleasantly surprised.
Somehow this match was turned into a No Disqualifications contest, and I think that's truly what helped it. Jarrett ended up busted open, ala Ric Flair style in Carolina, and that added to the element of the match. In the end, it was a series of nicely contested moves, signatures, finishers and chair shots that was nicely put together.
Kurt Angle won the match the way I'd hoped the X-Division match would've ended. After Jarrett only got a 2-count, Angle quickly reversed Jarrett into a quick pin and got the victory. After the match, Angle wasn't happy with just getting the victory, he "breaks" Jarrett's ankle in a steal chair by a series of vicious foot-stomps onto the chair, which was wrapped around Jarrett's ankle.
Winner: Kurt Angle
7. T.N.A. Heavyweight Championship: Sting (c) v. Rhino:
What a letdown. You know, let me just get this straight. Rhino, who was jobbing to Bashir about 2-3 monthes ago, is now in a World Heavyweight title match against Sting.. Sting.. allow me to repeat.. STING!
And they run a perfect storyline to take Rhino, who shouldn't of been in the match to begin with, out of the picture. They have the perfect set-up to bring in Ric Flair, IN CAROLINA, to face Sting.. his arch-rival.. but nooooo, NOOOO, fucking hell nooooo.. they bring Rhino in mid-show, busted up, bloodied, broken, beaten.. oh.. he'll compete.
So.. let's recap.. Sting.. STING.. only just barely can beat Rhino.. allow me to repeat.. RHINO, because he was beaten, bloodied, and left for dead before the show. Nice. Not only have I lost respect for T.N.A. creative for dropping a major ball here.. but in truth, unless Sting says "fuck this, I quit".. I've lost respect for Sting, for even agreeing with the idea that he's not good enough to defeat Rhino unless they run an angle that has Rhino already pre-defeated to begin with. Piss poor.
Winner: Sting
8. Main Event: 6-Man Tag Team Match: M.E.M. (Scott Steiner & Booker T.) w/ Cute Kip v. Frontline (Brother Devon & A.J. Styles) w/ Mick Foley:
Second time within 30 minutes where T.N.A. creative majorly drops a ball. M.E.M., without Kevin "injury prone" Nash ends up being taken from the match. So they have a great position to either bring in a 'legend' or at least a SUITABLE replacement, fuck even Sting who didn't hardly compete should've came in.. but no.. they bring in Cute fucking Kip James. I guarantee you when Mick Foley seen Kip James being announced, he damn near soiled his sock.
So the match, boring as ever, ends originally because the referee counts everyone out. I was thankful it was over then, I didn't give a shit about a countout, it was over. But no, Cornette comes out and says the match will continue. Booker disagrees, as did I, but no, Mick Foley says it'll continue under hardcore (gimmick) rules. Oh yeah.. that'll save it.
So, after a bunch of trash gets involved in the match.. and weapons too, and after a series of spots, including Styles going through a table and Foley continuing the "white-supremacy" over Devon by forcing him to get a table.. the match horribly ends with a sock in the Legend's Champion's mouth, and a badly done ddt to Scott Steiner half-way on a chair.
Winners: Frontline (A.J. Styles & Brother Devon) w/ Mick Foley
Overall Thoughts: I didn't have a lot of hope that T.N.A. was going to make this Pay per view anything great, but I can guarantee you one thing.. if this is a sign of how 2009 is going to go for T.N.A.. they won't likely make it to 2010.
You know, the one thing that annoyed me more than anything was Mike f'n Tennay. At the end, after Foley wins the 6-man.. he's yelling his head of.. "M.E.M. may of won the battle, but Frontline won the war!!!!" How the fuck do you figure that?!
Kurt Angle defeated the OWNER of T.N.A., Jeff Jarrett.. then broke his ankle. Sting RETAINED his World Heavyweight Championship against Rhino, and then the Frontline won a 6-man Tag team match.. that had Cute Kip involved as a replacement on the M.E.M. side. Where the fuck did Mike Tennay get that wild ass idea that the war was won by Frontline off a 6-man.. oh wait, it's T.N.A.. whoever wins the mult-clustered tag match, wins everything. I forgot, excuse me.
Horrible Pay per view as it went on. X-Division, Triple Threat Tag match, and the Jarrett/Angle match were all that was worth caring about on this p.p.v.
3 outta 10.
