By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S TNA FINAL RESOLUTION PPV REPORT
DECEMBER 5, 2010
ORLANDO, FLA. AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
AIRED LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW

-The show opened with a video package featuring Jeff Hardy saying if he could talk to the old Jeff he'd ask him why he sacrificed his body for his friends, he'd say, "What the f--- were you thinking?" More of his psychedelic synth song played as images aired of his title win and more soundbites from him.

-They went live to the arena but all viewers got was the sound of the crowd, the show's intro music, and a black screen. No announcers. It's like the lights going down right before a concert begins. Then they cut to the PPV graphic on the screen and silence. After a minute, they cut live to the arena, but played the pyro show in fast-forward. It's like they've never done this before. My hunch is Jeff Hardy was in control of the director's truck. (Jason Powell at www.prowrestling.net broke a major story from backstage at the TNA PPV tonight. Check it out here.)

-Mike Tenay and Taz introduced the show. Taz said, "Mike, we're a little tardy, but we're here. Da-ha!"

1 -- INK INC. (Jesse Neal & Shannon Moore) vs. BEER MONEY (James Storm & Robert Roode) -- Tag Team Title No. 1 Contendership Match

Match starts at 8:07 p.m.: Ink Inc. should have a guest manager one of these days, that assistant guy on "Millionaire Matchmaker." Ink had an early flurry of offense with the wound up crowd really popping. Moore did two inverted atomic drops that showed a ton of light. How is that supposed to hurt, exactly, when the knee doesn't come close to the tailbone? It's been a lousy move for years, but the reverse version is worse looking than the regular version almost always. Beer Money took control including Storm choking Neal with wrist tape. Taz compared Neal's hair to the Red Rooster. Moore got a hot-tag at 8:00 and went to work on Roode. This crowd is great tonight or else Ink Inc. are the hottest tag act since the Rock & Roll Express and Von Erich brothers. Maybe Moore's pal Matt Hardy bussed in his Facebook girlfriends for the show. Moore hit Roode at ringside with an Asai moonsault. Moore stole a ride on Storm's beer cooler wagon. More scored a very near fall at 10:00 back in the ring on Roode. Ink Inc. signaled for their finisher, but they took time to ask the crowd, which gave Storm a chance to recover and knock Moore off the top rope. Neal still slammed Roode in the ring, then he played to the crowd some more and then charged at Roode. Storm caught him with a superkick after Storm side-stepped him, and then Beer Money gave him their DWI finisher for the win.

WINNERS: Beer Money in 11:00.

STAR RATING (**3/4): Nice, high-energy tag match with great crowd heat. I hate when babyfaces act like morons, though, instead of trying to win matches like there's something really important at stake Imagine Adrian Petersen asking the crowd right before entering the end zone if he should cross the line and then as a result got tackled short of the goalline, or worse had the ball knocked free and committed a turnover. That's what Ink Inc. did when they asked the crowd about doing their finisher instead of just doing it. Also, the downside of these no. 1 contender matches before the actual tag title match is that it can hint strongly at which team will win the title match. With heels Beer Money winning, it tends to indicate the babyface tag champs will retain.

-At ringside Taz and Tenay talked about the main event storyline leading into Matt Morgan challenging Jeff Hardy with Mr. Anderson as the special referee. Tenay hyped other matches on the show, also, focusing primarily on the title matches.

-Backstage Christy Hemme interviewed Madison Rayne backstage. Rayne asked Christy if she's looking exceptionally perfect tonight. She said she's not worried about Mickey James. "As everyone knows, worrying gives you premature wrinkles. You shouldn't worry so much, Christy," she said. Rayne said Mickie can't get past Tara, and Tara knows that she was brought back to TNA to protect her. The jittering camerawork is nauseating. It's not 1995 ECW on public access TV. It's TNA in 2010 and the drunk cameraman gimmick has been done and overdone.

-A video package aired on the Mickie-Tara storyline including a lot of good backstage soundbite footage from Reaction. Mickie and Tara were believable in hyping this during the Reaction-style backstage interviews.

2 -- TARA vs. MICKIE JAMES -- Falls Count Anywhere

Match Starts at 8:23 p.m.: They brawled at ringside at the start. Mickie did the routine where she runs under the ring and come out the other side and jumps Tara from behind. They brawled back at ringside. By 6:00 they had brawled to the backstage area, which took the wind out of the sails of the fans. Tenay noted that the ridiculous camerawork was "making me seasick." Someone had to say it. They continued to brawl backstage for several minutes, working their way into the men's room at 10:00 which drew a big pop, especially when two men scurried away including one who was zipping up at the urinal. Another guy flushed and ran out of a stall carrying a newspaper. The ref gave up and ran out of the bathroom. "He didn't even wash his hands," said Taz. Madison Rayne then came out of another stall and sprayed Mickie in the face with a fire extinguisher. Tara called for the ref to return and make the count. He did. Taz wondered what Rayne was doing hanging out in the men's room. At least it was Tara who clearly directed Mickie into that room, so it was clearly their plan and not some "huge coincidence."

WINNER: Tara in 11:00.

STAR RATING: *1/4 -- Stand-up brawls backstage have been overdone over the years. This was okay considering that it matched the intensity of the feud, but to really earn the respect of everyone as workers, how about having these two experienced pros aspire to have a three-star-plus 15 minute match with near falls without the crutch of the backstage brawl gimmick.

-Christy interviewed Robbie E. and Cookie backstage. A worried, panicked Cookie said it isn't shark week and she's not getting in the shark cage no matter what.

3 -- ROBBIE E. (w/Cookie) vs. JAY LETHAL -- X Division Title Match

Match Began at 8:39: Cookie refused ref Earl Hebner's orders to get inside the cage at ringside. Lethal attacked Robbie B. At that point, Cookie began to retreat to the back. Shark Boy then made his return to the Impact Zone and forced her into the cage. The cage was then raised above the ring as Lethal continued to battle Robbie. At 6:00 Robbie grounded Lethal with a long headlock. The ref lifted Lethal's arm. Twice it dropped, the third time it didn't. It's like a 1980 flashback. Lethal made a comeback and hit a Lethal Combination for a two count. They collided and both went down at 9:00. Cookie tossed a foreign object to Robbie E. The ref saw it and took it and threw it out of the ring. She threw a second object to Robbie, but Lethal took it and sprayed Robbie. The ref, though, DQ'd Lethal for using the spray against Lethal.

WINNER: Robbie in 10:00 via DQ to retain the X Division Title.

STAR RATING (*3/4): Good work at the start and end, but slow in the middle for the overly long headlock. The finish is classic for that gimmick where the heel manager in the cage still finds a way to interfere. In the end, though, nothing that helps sell TNA as having something you need to pay to see. Instead, just part of the overall package of TNA's approach to PPV shows. This stuff is what dies in the ratings, though.

-Afterward Shark Boy confronted Cookie. She slapped him and trash-talked him. That gave him permission to give her a Stunner, just like Steve Austin did to Stacy Keibler that one time. At least in this case, Cookie was bigger and stronger than the man who beat her down.

-Christy interviewed Tommy Dreamer backstage. He said he's sad to see Rhino vs. Rob Van Dam taking place. He said ten years ago in Orlando, Rhino broke RVD's leg in a match. He said RVD was out of action 11 months and "it made them friends." Dreamer said he gets Rhino's frustration, but it disappoints him that he chose to align with "that scum bag Eric Bischoff." He said someone has to go out there and make someone bleed. He fought back tears as he said tonight is an end to an extreme era. Whatever. Dreamer is so earnest and believable, but the message is so yesterday.

-A video package aired on the Rhino-RVD feud.

4 -- RHINO vs. ROB VAN DAM -- First Blood Match

Match began at 8:57 p.m.: They took turns on offense in the opening minutes. At 3:00 RVD leaped off the ring apron and hit a spinning axe kick to the Rhino who was leaning over the ring barrier. At 6:00 Rhino came back with a Gore out of nowhere. Then he went to ringside and grabbed a trash can from under the ring. He used it as a weapon for several minutes. RVD made a comeback and hit a lightning bolt flying sidekick off the middle rope. At 10:00 RVD got a hold of the trash can, Rhino punched RVD between the legs and then gave him a spike DDT. RVD gave Rhino a Van Daminator with a trash can lid, although it took two tries to get it right. No bleeding from Rhino, so the match continued. RVD then hit the Van Terminator - the leap off of one top turnbuckle flying into a trash can wedged against Rhino in the corner. Rhino bled from the move, so RVD won.

WINNER: RVD in 12:00.

STAR RATING: **

-Christy interviewed Kaz regarding his thoughts on A.J. Styles. Kaz said Douglas Williams had a chance to be part of something big and he turned his back on Fortune and tonight he'll pay the price.

5 -- A.J. STYLES vs. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS -- TV Title Match

Match began at 9:14: Taz said this is a purists' dream match to see these two about to hook up. Tenay said they each have great finishers. Williams escaped a Styles Clash attempt at 2:00. They fought at ringside for a minute, the Williams took over back inside the ring. Styles caught Williams on the top rope and knocked him to the floor. Styles hit a high dropkick for a near fall at 7:00. Taz marveled at the sequence of moves that Styles executed leading to that dropkick. Styles began working over Williams's legs. Williams rolled Styles to the floor. Back in the ring Williams made a full comeback with some European uppercuts and then a high-collar suplex for a near fall. Tenay said Taz executed suplexes like that in his day. Styles hit a moonsault into an inverted DDT for a believable near fall at 13:00. Williams surprised Styles with a roll-up. Styles took over again and landed a Pele kick. Styles sling-shot himself toward Williams at ringside, but Williams caught Styles and gave him the Rolling Chaos at ringside. Tenay said he had never seen that. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" Back in the ring Williams gave Styles for a Styles Clash for the win.

WINNER: Williams in 15:00 to capture the TV Title.

STAR RATING: ***3/4 -- Really good match. It felt like they were trying to win a fight, not just put on a performance. They used a mix of conventional moves in better than average ways while also mixing in their signature spots. Good finish, too.

-Christy interviewed Generation Me. They called the Guns "thirty year old video game playing dorks." They give really good heel promos.

6 -- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. GENERATION ME -- World Tag Team Champions

Match began 9:33 p.m: Pope vs. Abyss gets a high spot on the card than this match? Really? They jump-started the match with a brawl at ringside in double-speed. Max beat up Sabin in the ring as Jeremy set up a table at ringside at 2:00. Sabin dove through the ropes, but ran right into a chair held up by Max. Max then swung a chair at Shelley's knees on the ring apron at 4:00. Max threw Shelley into the ladder in the corner, then Jeremy leaped onto Shelley with a ladder. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" which is not the response the most effective matches get. The crowd ideally would be wrapped up in cheering for one team and hoping for another to lose, not just popping for good creative use of apparatus. Lots of creative spots continued. Max climbed a ladder and reached for the tag title belts, but they were clearly out of reach. Shelley gave Jeremy a dragon screw with his legs wrapped in the ladder, basically crotching him in an innovative way.

The Guns sandwiched Max in the ladder and then suplexed Jeremy onto the ladder. Sabin climbed the ladder and reached for the title belts, but he was knocked down. Four-way action ensued. The Guns used a chair for a basement dropkic against Matt. Sabin then set Jeremy next to him and put a ladder over both. He added a chair and then Shelley hit a double foot stomp off the top rope onto both Max and Jeremy. Tey set up four ladders in the ring at 12:00. All four climbed one. Nobody could reach the belts. They all dropped back to the mat and fought some more. Shelley threw a chair at Jeremy, who was nice enough to catch it and hold it against his own head so Shelley could leap into the air and drop down with a double knee driver. A bit too choreographed looking. Taz said, "How do they think of this stuff?"

The Gunns had GenMe down and out, so then they slid a table into the ring and placed it on top of the ladders. That created a bridge. Taz said he sensed something bad was about to happen. Jeremy got up and used a mule kick and a low blow to take out the Guns. Sabin came back with a springboard crossbody onto Jeremy at ringside. With GenMe out at ringside, the Guns slid another able into the ring. Taz and Tenay tried to figure out what they were doing. Jeremy returned and hit Shelley with a chair and kicked the edge of the table into Sabin. GenMe put Sabin on the table. Shelley fought back against GenMe. Shelley and Jeremy flipped off the ring apron onto a table at ringside. That left Max and Sabin in the ring, each climbing a ladder with a chair in hand where they met on top of the table set on top of the ladders. They were high enough to reach the belts at that point. They then had a chair swinging fight on top. Sabin won and knocked Max off the platform and through a table below. Sabin grabbed the belts for the win, but almost tipped over in the process.

WINNERS: The Motor City Machine Guns in 17:00 to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING (***): Some people are going to absolutely love that match and others won't like it much because of the choreographed look of some sequences and just the sheer excess of big moves and stunts. I'm falling somewhere in the middle. Personally, I'd rather see a match of this type scaled back by third-thirds so the big spots meant more, and I'd like to see it be the one gimmick match on a show free of other gimmicks, and come at the culmination of a four or five month feud featuring a series of acclaimed regular tag matches, and then be one of the final two matches on the event.

7 -- "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO vs. ABYSS -- Casket Match

Match began at 9:57 p.m.: The crowd chanted "Monster Killer!" at Pope before the match. At 3:00 Abyss tossed Pope off the top rope back-first onto the casket lid at ringside. Taz and Tenay were very concerned at first, but Taz said the muscle-mass Pope built up can help protect him from that type of landing. Abyss picked up Pope and was going to try to drop him in the casket at 4:00, but Pope slipped free and dropkicked Abyss nearly into the casket. Abyss got up and headbutted Pope. At 6:00 Abyss nearly dropped Pope into the casket, but Pope fought back. Pope climbed to the top rope and leaped at Abyss with a flying shoulder. They took turns almost closing the lid on each other in the casket. At 12:00 Abyss finally gave Pope a chokeslam into the casket and closed the lid for the win.

WINNER: Abyss in 12:00.

STAR RATING (*1/2): The wrestlers did what they could with the format, I suppose, although it got repetitious and too focused on the casket with one attempt after another without much variety. It looked like a basketball game the way they kept changing position of the offensive advantage and moved in the same track back and forth to and from the casket.

-Backstage the ref gave Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett instructions on the match. The camera stayed awkwardly long on the shot of those two staring at each other, giving Gunner and Murphy time to attack Joe's ankle. Joe cried in pain as Jarrett told them to back off. Tenay said he didn't buy it for a second that Jarrett didn't want that to happen.

-They suddenly cut to a video package on Hardy. He said: "A lot of people say I don't give anymore, but I give concussions." They cut away mid-video-package to a shot of the arena. Then Tenay began talking. Then he was interrupted by the start of the Jarrett-Joe video package. Seriously, is everyone on drugs backstage tonight? It's been one glitch after another.

8 -- JEFF JARRETT vs. SAMOA JOE -- Submissions Match

Jarrett made his ring intro first. As Joe came out, two trainers followed and tried to talk him out of it. He kept going. Jarrett nodded and smiled at the sign of Joe's bum ankle. Match began at 10:15. Jarrett asked Joe how his ankle was as he went right after it early in the match. Joe, from his back, called Jarrett to move into his guard. Jarrett took him up on it. Joe went for a jujikatame armbar submission. Jarrett put his leg over the bottom rope to force a break. Joe applied a keylock, but Jarrett again reached the ropes. Joe then hit Jarrett with a series of rapid-fire backfists, then stomped on him in the corner. Jarrett slipped to ringside and yanked Joe's ankle around the ringpost.

Joe got another near submission with a kneebar. He got up limping and hit a backsplash. Joe then went for another keylock. Jarrett struggled and reached the ropes with his legs again. Jarrett moaned in pain as Joe got up and powerbombed Jarrett to the mat. Joe then applied a Texas Cloverleaf. Jarrett slipped under the bottom rope and to the floor to escape. Joe followed him to ringside with a rear naked choke. The ref ordered them into the ring. Joe went for another armbar submission in the ring. Jarrett had his feet under the bottom ropes while tapping, but the ref considered the leg under the rope an official break. Tenay said Jarrett just tapped to get Joe to release the hold or get the ref to notice his feet in the ropes.

Joe hit a Muscle Buster and then applied his rear naked choke. This ends many MMA fights. Gunner and Murphy ran to ringside and onto the ring apron to distract the ref and Joe. Joe released his sleeper and knocked Gunner and Murphy to the floor. Jarrett caught Joe from behind with an anklelock. Joe was mid-ring and let out cries of pain. Joe grabbed the ref by his shirt as he screamed in pain and submitted.

WINNER: Jarrett in 9:00 via submission.

STAR RATING (**3/4): An unconventional match. I was okay with how they did it. They decided to keep the feud going by giving Jarrett a tainted win. That's fine at this stage, although Joe is a potentially bigger part of TNA drawing money in the next few years than Jarrett if he renews his contract, but for now with the pre-match attack it gave Joe an excuse for losing.

-Backstage, Christy interviewed Mr. Anderson who talked about being objective. Anderson mocked Christy for caring if he called the match down the middle. Morgan walked in and asked him for a favor. He told him to be the referee because he knew he'd do the right thing. He told him to make that match a no DQ match. He said Fortune and Immortal will hit the ring. He said he wanted to take them out all by himself. He said rather than Hardy saving his title by DQ, he can fight them off himself and then finish off Hardy. Anderson said he'd call it right down the middle "just like an asshole would." He didn't really agree to the stip, but I suppose it was implied.

-The video package aired on Hardy that was started earlier by mistake. Other than video packages, no signs of Eric Bischoff or Hulk Hogan on this show. I don't even remember Ric Flair being here live.

9 -- JEFF HARDY vs. MATT MORGAN -- TNA World Hvt. Title Match

After Jeremy Borash's ring introductions, Tenay said Bischoff has declared Hardy the most important person in the Wrestling Universe. Morgan overpowered Hardy, shoving him into the corner a the start. He pounded him in the corner, then rammed his head into turnbuckles. He threw his reverse elbows, a bit of a tribute to Kevin Nash, then choked Hardy over the top rope. When the ref counted, Tenay wondered why the ref did that in a no DQ match. Taz said referees tend to do it even when there's no point. Tenay said it's wrong. Taz said people do things wrong in life. Finally somebody pointed out the stupidity of referees making that "break before five" count during no DQ matches. Hardy turned the momentum by snapping Morgan throat-first over the top rope. He threw him into the ringpost at ringside at 2:00. He stomped on him. Anderson told Hardy to throw Morgan back into the ring. Taz said because it's no DQ doesn't mean it's no countout.

Hardy settled into a chinlock in the ring and yelled for fans to "shut up!" Morgan stood and elbowed out of it, then flexed and began no-selling Hardy's offense. Morgan reverse-whipped Hardy into the corner. Hardy went for a Whisper in the Wind, but Morgan side-stepped him and then took him down with several clotheslines. He followed with a discus clothesline for a near fall. Hardy caught a charging Morgan with a boot to the face. Hardy then dove off the second rope to try to make a comeback, but Morgan caught him and turned and slammed him for a near fall at 4:00. Hardy surprised Morgan with a Twist of Hate for a near fall seconds later.

Morgan hit a high boot to Hardy off the ropes, but tweaked his knee and began selling it. He went for a cover, but Hardy stopped the count wiht a foot in the ropes. Morgan showed some frustration while rubbing his knee. He stood up gingerly and attempted a suplex, but Hardy slipped free and hit a Twist of Hate for a near fall at 6:00. Hardy yanked off his shirt and got zero pop. He then went for the Swanton, but Morgan lifted his knees and caught Hardy. Just as on Impact on Thursday, Taz continued talking through the huge move and finished a story he was telling instead stopping to call Hardy's signature finisher. Tenay had to recap what happened, including Morgan lifting his knees.

Both men were slow to get up, so Anderson began counting them down. The crowd chanted "Morgan, Morgan." Morgan stood and limped as Hardy rolled to ringside and welcomed a countout. Anderson got to nine and then stopped, insisting Hardy return to fight; he wasn't giving him the easy out to retain his title. The announcers need to make a bigger deal out of how disgraceful it is to intentionally lose on a technicality in order to save your title. That was one a very very big deal in wrestling, and here the announcers just acted like it was a semi-reasonable tactic. Anderson met Hardy in the aisle and chewed him out and then threw him into the ring. Morgan rolled up Hardy for a believable near fall. Taz said he respected that Anderson didn't quick-count the fall. With Morgan still favoring his knee, Hardy escaped a bodyslam attempt and then hit another Twist of Fate. Anderson was slow to get down to make the count. Hardy slapped the mat in frustration. Morgan was able to kick out at about nine, but Anderson stopped at two. Hardy looked up in disbelief at his situation. He rolled out of the ring again.

Hardy grabbed a chair at ringside and surprised Morgan with it, hitting him on his knee. Hardy rolled back into the ring at 10:00 and went for another Twist of Fate. Morgan shoved Hardy into Anderson, and Anderson fell to the floor. Morgan then hit his Carbon Footprint and covered Hardy. The crowd counted aloud to 20. Eric Bischoff then made his first appearance, ordering referee Jackson James to replace Anderson. When Bischoff got to ringside, he threw Anderson into the ringpost. Anderson sold the throw like Ezekiel Jackson or Brock Lesnar threw him. He threw Jackson into the ring, but then realized Morgan had Hardy covered. He tried to pull him out, but Jackson made the count. Morgan eyed Bischoff. Bischoff said, "I'm good. Are you good?" Morgan told him to get his ass out of there. Bischoff said problem, he's good. Hardy escaped a Morgan chokeslam attempt with a low kick and then he gave him a Twist of Fate onto the chair for the win.

WINNER: Hardy in 11:00 to retain the TNA World Hvt. Title.

STAR RATING (**1/2): That was actually watchable. Hardy is so gifted, or so buzzed on "5 Hour Energy" or something, that he was able to recover from whatever condition he was in when he arrived at the arena. Morgan is good enough for this main event spot. TNA should consider getting really behind him as their centerpiece babyface and get behind him like WWE has John Cena. They haven't had someone with his mix of experience, upside, and overall competence in the ring and on the mic with a good, credible look.

-The show ended with Anderson covered in blood and a close-up of Hardy on the stage with his title belt and Morgan soaking up the loss in the ring.

Have you check out my new daily blog yet? It's here: www.WadeKeller.com. Read my final thoughts on this PPV before it began.

And follow us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/pwtorch) and Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/pwtorch.

We suggest these recent related articles...

CALDWELL'S TNA SLAMMIVERSARY PPV RESULTS 6/28: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live PPV from Orlando - King of the Mountain match, Storm vs. Magnus, more

KYGHT'S PPV EVALUATION - TNA Bound for Glory: Best/Worst Match, What Will Be Remembered?, Updated 2014 Rankings

KYGHT'S PPV EVALUATION - TNA Slammiversary: Best/Worst Match, Biggest Surprise; Updated 2014 PPV Rankings