TNA Sacrifice PPV Evaluation 5/13
By Nathan Kyght, PWTorch PPV specialist

BEST MATCH – AUSTIN ARIES VS. BULLY RAY

An argument can be made for A.J. Styles vs. Kurt Angle, but as good as that match was, it just felt like something seen so many times before. However, Aries vs. Ray was genuinely fresh and, while I certainly expected it to be a fun match, I didn’t expect it to be this genuinely good. Aries is absolutely at the top of his game during his current TNA run (side note: WWE turned Aries down for "Tough Enough." Seriously.), and he and Ray worked great together. The fall Aries took to the guardrail looked brutal, and kudos to him for not only keeping the match together, but in taking a ton more punishment. Aries won, which was the right move, and both men came out looking strong, including Ray, who, in my opinion, the best heel in TNA. An awesome match.

WORST MATCH – CRIMSON VS. ERIC YOUNG

So, Crimson comes out for an open challenge, then demands the ref count out an unnamed opponent out, and be declared the winner. Huh? Then, EY comes out, Crimson wins, and we are reminded that he is on a 16-month(!) winning streak, and everyone goes back to not caring.

BIGGEST SURPRISE – THE LADDER MATCH

Bobby Roode seemingly keeps getting better, but RVD is a bit of a question mark in-ring these days. Going into the ladder match main event, I thought that it would probably be decent, but what the two men delivered was a really solid main event bout. I thought RVD looked as motivated as he has in a long time, and TNA resisted the urge for a shock ending, instead delivering the correct ending: The Champion retains again. Nice going.

BIGGEST LETDOWN – CRIMSON ANGLE

I don’t mean to harp on this angle (and to be fair, I think Crimson is a good promo), but when you think about the fact that Crimson has been on an undefeated streak for well over a year, and is no more over with the crowd than he was when he debuted, it might be time for a reset. Give the guy something else to do, TNA.

BEST QUOTE – AUSTIN ARIES

“You think bigger is better? Well, I think better is better." Excellent.

BEST MOVE – AUSTIN ARIES

The brainbuster on Bully Ray was impressive, and perfectly timed in the context of the match so that it meant something, and wasn’t "just another move." Great work.

BEST MATCH FINISH – AUSTIN ARIES VS. BULLY RAY

As you can tell, I’m high on this match. The ending to this featured Aries locking in his Last Chancery submission, and Bully Ray tapping out quickly. It gave Aries a distinct and important win, and actually played into the "Bully" character that suddenly panics when he gets put in a compromising position. This was flawlessly done.

OTHER THOUGHTS

- Samoa Joe & Magnus and Kazarian and Daniels had a really good PPV opener. Daniels & Kazarian have become one of the most entertaining parts of Impact recently, and I thought it was the right move giving them the titles.

- Gail Kim and Brooke Tessmacher also had a good match, and it was nice to see the Knockouts given some time. The two worked well together, and it was one of the better Knockout matches of the year, in my opinion.

- Devon retains, as he should have. But, TNA shouldn't break up the Robbies. Please don't, TNA.

- I have no idea what went on at the end of the Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson match, but from all accounts, it was a botched finish. But, next time it happens, they just need to roll with it. Anderson acting annoyed that he won a match just gave away that it didn’t go as planned, methinks.

- Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles had a really solid 20-minute match that was somewhat marred by the crowd waiting for interference. Still, no knock on the guys who gave their all in the co-main event.

- More Joe Park, please.

- Two facts for you to do with as you will: I thought this was by far the best TNA pay-per-view of the year, and the first where Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Dixie Carter were not hands-on with Creative at the show. Interpret this as you will.

WHAT IT’LL BE REMEMBERED FOR

After months of frustrating shows, Sacrifice delivered in the way that TNA is capable of doing on a monthly basis: strong matches, a well-paced card, buzz-worthy moments, and over-booking kept to a minimum. The best TNA show of the year, and one of the company’s strongest shows in recent memory. Thumbs up.

UPDATED 2012 PPV EVALUATION RANKINGS

1 - WWE EXTREME RULES (2012-04-29)
2 - WWE WRESTLEMANIA XXVIII (2012-04-01)
3 - WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER (2012-02-19)
4 - TNA SACRIFICE (2012-05-13)
5 - WWE ROYAL RUMBLE (2012-1-29)
6 - TNA VICTORY ROAD (2012-03-18)
7 - TNA LOCKDOWN (2012-04-15)
8 - TNA GENESIS (2012-01-08)
9 – TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS (2012-02-12)

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