A2Z Analysiz: TNA Final Resolution 2008 (Main Event Mafia, TNA Frontline)

PPVs, Reviews, Wrestling DVDs

Final Resolution 2008

Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – December 7, 2008

Introduction

The opening video package focuses solely on the Main Event Mafia versus TNA Frontline storyline, which gives us out top two matches tonight. They use footage of Franklin Delano Roosevelt talking about how American hates war. He’s one of our greatest for a reason folks. Mike Tenay and Don West are calling the action tonight.

MATCH #1: Feast or Fired Match – Homicide, Hernandez, Jay Lethal, Curry Man, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Jimmy Rave, Lance Rock, Sonjay Dutt, BG James, Consequences Creed, Cute Kip, Shark Boy, and Petey Williams

Four briefcases are hanging from the corners, and there’s a World Title shot, and X Division Title shot, a Tag Team Title shot, and a pink slip in them. You have to grab the case and make it all the way to the floor to take possession of it. It’s kind of an Ultimate Risk / Ultimate Reward sort of thing. Having four objects on four different poles sounds like a Vince Russo Booking Wet Dream. The match structure is kind of like a battle royal, with all kinds of brawling going on all over the place. Hernandez grabs the first case, leaving three for everyone else. More stuff happens and then Curry Man pulls down the second case. After more brawling, Homicide grabs the third case. The Guns work together to grab the fourth case, but instead of going to the floor with it right away, Shelley hits Creed and Shark Boy with it. They celebrate and Lethal sneaks up behind them and grabs it from them, and he rolls right to the floor to win the final briefcase at 12:22. There’s just not much to say about a match like that.
Rating: *½

Borash gets in the ring and they’re going to reveal what’s in one of the cases right here tonight. He offers each man one chance to give their case away, but no one bites. Case Number 2 is randomly selected and we will soon find out the contents of his case. Lethal has earned himself a World Tag Team Title shot, which really upsets the Guns now. Shelley continues to hassle Borash, so JB goes off on Shelley, who just stands there looking shocked.

MATCH #2: TNA Knockouts Tag Team Match – Roxxi, ODB & Taylor Wilde vs. Sharmell & The Beautiful People

The Beautiful People are Angelina Love and Velvet Sky at this point. This is a feud between ODB and Sharmell that the other four got slotted into. ODB starts off with both Beautiful People and clears them out immediately. Roxxi and Love start the match proper and the babyfaces take control. Momentum shifts back and forth several times in the early going. The Beautiful People get knocked to the floor and ODB wants to fight Sharmell. Cute Kip gets in the ring to distract ODB, and eventually the heels take control of her. Sharmell finally tags in when ODB is down, and as soon as ODB starts getting up at all she runs. Finally the big showdown happens and Kip tries to play defense but he fails, and ODB chases Sharmell to the back. Love goes for a cross body block off the top rope but Wilde rolls through it (sort of) to get the pin at 7:27. Boy that never seemed to go anywhere.
Rating: *¾

MATCH #3: TNA X Division Championship Match – Eric Young vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir

Bashir has been the champion since 9.14.08, and this is his fifth defense. Referee Shane Sewell was feuding with Bashir at this time too, and he’s the referee for this match. Young already apparently won the title on Impact, but since Sewell actually helped him, Cornette returned the title to Bashir. They go back and forth a bit to start and Young scores the first near-fall with a belly-to-belly suplex. Bashir comes back and whips Young into the corner so hard that he flips to the floor. Now Bashir takes control as Sewell calls it right down the middle. Young makes a comeback and hits the elbow drop off the top rope for a two-count. A big lariat gets another near-fall. Young slams Bashir down and misses a moonsault. Bashir covers and gets two. A series of reversals ends with Young hitting the Wheelbarrow Neckbreaker and Bashir gets his foot on the bottom rope at two. Bashir then sends Young to the floor and gets into an argument with Sewell, who is able to keep his temper in check. Young tries a sunset flip back in the ring and Bashir grabs the top rope, so Sewell kicks his hands away, which is my least favorite spot ever, and Young gets the pin and wins the title at 8:04. That was just so mediocre, and I really powerfully hate that finish and that spot in general. When the guy grabs the ropes that should break the hold, and besides that, referees should never touch the wrestlers anyway.
Rating: **

After the match Bashir dispatches of Young and bloodies Sewell. He takes the belt with him too. Wow, you couldn’t make Young look weaker there. Jim Cornette comes out with security and they take the title belt from him.

MATCH #4: TNA Knockouts Championship Match – Christy Hemme vs. Awesome Kong

Kong has been the champion since 10.23.08, and this is her first defense. She is accompanied by Raisha Saeed and Rhaka Khan. Hemme was trained for this match by AJ Styles. She takes the fight right to Kong early on but to little effect. Kong misses a charge and tumbles to the floor, and Hemme follows her out with a dive off the top rope! Back in the ring Kong quickly regains control and stretches Hemme unnaturally. Hemme won’t give up though, hopping on Kong’s back with a sleeper. She follows up with a big DDT and then the FFC Guillotine, and Saeed pulls her off the cover to the floor. Saeed and Khan beat Hemme up on the floor right in front of the referee, who does not call for a DQ. Then Saeed and Khan get in the ring to fight Hemme, and that’s enough for the DQ at 5:09. That might have been fun if they had done a better DQ ending, but that just looked all awkward and weird. Kong has pretty much proven herself as a miracle worker.
Rating: **¼

MATCH #5: TNA World Tag Team Championship Match – Beer Money, Inc. vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss

James Storm and Robert Roode have been the champions since 8.10.08, and this is their fifth defense. They are accompanied by Jacqueline. Abyss chases after Storm before the bell, since Storm has broken two beer bottles on his head in the preceding weeks. He chases Storm through the crowd and Roode goes after Abyss. Morgan and Jacqueline stand there looking confused. When Abyss chases the champs back to the ring, Morgan wipes them out with a dive off the top rope. The champs bail again, and the opening bell hasn’t even happened yet. Rudy Charles decides to start the match, and if Beer Money gets counted out they will lose the titles. I don’t understand how referees can have that power. The champs continue to avoid the monstrous challengers, as over two minutes pass before any contact is made. When it finally is made, Morgan goes to work on Roode. Abyss gets his shots in too as the challengers are totally dominant. Jacqueline has to interfere to give the champions their first advantage. Roode and Storm go to work on Morgan’s injured knee, which is good strategy against a much larger opponent. Finally the hot tag is made and Abyss is on fire. Abyss grabs the beer bottle and Jacqueline stops him from using it. That gives Storm the chance to put on some brass knuckles and crack Abyss in the jaw with them to get the pin at 11:36. Solid tag team formula with a weak finish: sounds like TNA to me!
Rating: **½

Suicide Entrance

The Motor City Machine Guns come back out to protest the decision from the first match. They stage a sit-in until Mick Foley will come out and reverse the decision. Jim Cornette comes out and threatens to have security remove them from the premises. Then the lights go out and Suicide from the TNA Impact video game makes his dramatic debut. Suicide makes both Guns look like buffoons and they bail.

MATCH #6: Kurt Angle vs. Rhino, With Special Guest Enforcer Mick Foley

Angle is fighting for his job here, so I wonder how this is going to end. These two are so mad at each other that they start mat wrestling. Rhino takes the early control but Angle fights back and dumps Rhino to the floor. Now Angle takes control, slowly working Rhino over back in the ring. For a heated blood feud this is rather subdued. Rhino fights back and hits a spinebuster for two. He goes for the Gore but Angle avoids it and locks on the Ankle Lock. Rhino fights out of it but gets caught with the Angle Slam for a two-count. The referee takes a bump and Foley comes in to take his place. Angle brings in a steel chair and Foley blocks him. Rhino gets a quick rollup for a two-count. Angle stays in control though and goes up top but Rhino takes him down with a superplex. Then for some reason Al Snow makes his way out to distract Foley. That gives Angle the chance to use the chair and Foley turns around to count the fall and Angle keeps his job and earns a rematch with Jeff Jarrett at Genesis at 14:24. That was good in spots but it never really kicked into a higher gear despite the alleged hatred in this feud.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #7: Eight Man Tag Team Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship – Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner & Booker T vs. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe & Team 3D

Sting has been the champion since 10.12.08, and this is his third defense. Yes, it is ridiculous to have the World Title on the line in an eight-man tag team match, for those wondering. T is doing his ridiculous Jamaican accent here and is the current Legends Champion. He starts the match with Styles but it doesn’t take long for tags to be made as both teams jockey for control in the opening minutes. The Main Event Mafia settles in on Brother Devon, keeping him in their half of the ring for several minutes. Devon finally makes the hot tag to Brother Ray, who takes it right to Nash. Joe tags in and the Mafia is able to cut him off and they work him over now. Just like Devon before him, Joe makes the hot tag and Styles tears into the entire MEM. The match breaks down, with finishers happening all over the ring. Joe goes for the Muscle Buster on Sting but Nash breaks it with a low blow. Sting follows with the Scorpion Death Drop to get the pin and retain the title at 21:24. That many guys being out there meant something was always happening, and it was enjoyable enough but not at all memorable.
Rating: ***

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