By Shane McKinley, PWTorch specialist

"Gotta keep my game face
They don't leave me no options
Can't lose my cool I know the streets keep watchin'
Dudes wanna see me lose it all
But I ain't come this far to fall
Let me talk to all of you dudes prayin that I lose it all
I ain't come this far to fall"
-- "Ten Minutes" by Joe Budden

Well, at least this PPV got people talking. Obviously the main news item out of the PPV was another Russo-esque special with the Angle-Hardy copout. More on that later.

I know this might make me sound like a heretic, but I'm plenty well bored with X Division action. I've seen it all before from small guys with no personality, thanks to TNA's lack of emphasis on their personalities. Although, I can envision Generation Me copying Straight Edge Society's preacher gimmick since that's what WWE and TNA do: steal each other's gimmicks.

Also, I'll point out that TNA will stop the show because Alex Shelley gets a neck cramp. Meanwhile, Tommy Dreamer gets stabbed in the eye with a fork and TNA can't wait to cut backstage to an Angle interview.

Douglas Williams vs. Sabu could have taken place in any independent wrestling organization this Sunday. Outside of the announcers talking about the Williams-Fortune connection, this didn't really feel like a TNA match. It felt like two outsiders screwing around and Sabu not quite being the homicidal, genocidal, and suicidal maniac of years past. Even Sabu didn't care that he lost. The focus on this match was the ref stupidity and that darn chair. I guess TNA wants Douglas Williams to look strong on his own because Fortune didn't run in to beat up Sabu.

The Beautiful People get major ratings on Impact probably just for their entrance alone. They didn't do much at this PPV outing.

I enjoyed the Rhino vs. Abyss match because it didn't turn out to be a geek show. (And why was no one busted open during an Abyss PPV match? It was because being busted open would play a pivotal factor in the Angle-Hardy match.)




Also, it's worth noting that fans are more interested in learning who Abyss's "they" are than finding out why Nash, Sting, and Jarrett are feuding. You know why Samoa Joe's in this feud? It's because Joe beats up old people. The problem (and there are a lot of them, but we'll focus on one) with the Old Man Feud is that it's way too "insider knowledge." Apparently Nash and Sting don't like Hogan because they are paranoid about losing their spot. What were Sting and Nash doing before Hogan came in? Did TNA show that they had stroke? No. The whole feud is based on vague ideas and insider knowledge that fans don't know or don't care about. So they just cheer for who they like the best.

A.J. Styles, apparently hiding a kitchen utensils drawer in his kneepads, forked Tommy Dreamer in the eye. Big win for A.J., as he joins the ranks of Zack Ryder who defeated Dreamer in the last nine months. Woo woo woo.

Now it's time for the main event. This match could have been a career highlight for Kurt Angle. Hell, the match was so dramatic that the options of Kurt Angle winning or "retiring" could have worked. But there was one annoying this about this match:

How friggin' over Jeff Hardy is.

At the end of the "first" match, Jeff Hardy didn't tap out to the Anklelock for nearly three minutes. It made the Anklelock submission look incredibly weak. The announcers tried to cover up by saying Jeff has great determination to become World Champion and has apparently bones made of titanium, but for me, the rest of the match was hampered by this fact. Also, Jeff really no-selling that injury in overtime hurt the move and the match as well. Minor complaints aside, I was definitely feeling this match. Yes, give me five more minutes. Yes, give me Angle not submitting in a pool of his own blood.

But Jeff Hardy should have lost. It was all right there. Jeff lasted 30 minutes with Kurt Angle and didn't tap out to the Anklelock. He wouldn't have lost much heat if Angle won.

But TNA feels that the continuation of the Angle-Jeff feud will lead to a bigger payoff (looks like a Jeff Darky-Kirk Angel-Mr. A**hole triple threat), so they served up a Russo special that probably upset a lot of people. I hope the payoff works out, because this booking decision did hamper one of the best matches of the year. And what the heck, that 10.10.10 PPV is going do higher buyrates (i.e. more hair product for Dixie Carter) than No Surrender. So it's all good in the hood.

Come on, TNA. I know you're trying to appease TNA fans with Pope vs. Anderson after you angered them, but in no universe does Pope vs. Anderson follow Angle vs. Jeff, especially if said Pope-Anderson match is the last match of the night.

But, like I said, at least the Angle-Jeff ending got people talking, especially considering that this PPV looked like a lame duck coming in. The ending of Angle-Jeff didn't quite make me go, "GARRRRR, WHAT THE HELL, I'M DONE WITH TNA" (there's been much, much worse), but as stated before, I hope the payoff is worth it.




And, oh, apparently now TNA will stop matches because someone is bleeding heavily. Who knew?

TNA No Surrender Absurd Verdict: In The Middle Of Absurdity

Email is mckinley.torch@gmail.com

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