NWA-TNA Final Resolution
16th of January, 2005
Widely regarded as the best TNA PPV since the monthly ones have begun, but does that mean that it’s good? Read on.
Opening video is once again good, but they make a real bonehead error in saying Styles one the X-Division Title on the very first TNA PPV. Try second factmasters.
Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Michael Shane vs. 3 Live Kru
This is a great match to hide 3LK’s weaknesses, as when the heat session is in play, the heels do a good job of carrying the pacing a flow, then when it gets to the near fall sequence, 3LK do their stuff and get out. The segment before the heat segment is nice, as Kazarian is dominated and tries to tag but can’t, so he runs away and James gets beat down by the heels. Daniels does a particularly good job in this match, as whenever he’s in there, he makes it count. As it breaks down, what costs the heels is their showboating, it’s not because they’re the worse team, as Daniels showboats before trying the Arabian Press to the floor, but accidentally hits Kazarian. Finish comes off as a little anticlimactic, as James and Konnan hold Shane up for a Killings leg lariat. **1/2
Sonjay Dutt vs. Elix Skipper
It might be my markdom for Sonjay Dutt, but I was really digging this. They do a great job building the opening sequence, as it becomes obvious that Dutt is willing to go to any lengths to win, but the problem with this is once you crash and burn, it’s very hard to comeback. The satellite headscissors from Dutt is used in the early going, but then is sent into the front row. Skipper doesn’t do the smart thing though and go after Sonjay, this gives Sonjay the chance to jump from the rail and take out Skipper. Skipper practically had him, but he made a mistake of not following up, as he always could’ve hit a move then taken a breather.
Sonjay changes up the initial game plan and goes after the arm of Skipper with a Divorce Court and attacks it. Skipper plays it smart though, and uses dropkicks whenever he can to try and take over. This pays off when he is able to dropkick Sonjay to the floor. One thing that hurts the match is that Skipper doesn’t pick a game plan, and it messes with the flow. We think he’s going after the back on the outside, but then goes after the arm back in. One of the higher points of this match is not ending with the Play of the Day, as it is not a believable finisher. Sonjay ends up trying for the Hindu Press, but Skipper moves, hotshots him and plants him with a Spinning Urnage for the win. Some fine junior action, but Skipper’s habits crept in bit by bit. Still, it’s a nice match and a nice exit on PPV for Dutt. ***
Kid Kash vs. Dustin Rhodes
This is one of those matches that you have to question Scott Keith’s sanity for giving ***. I like Scott. But the rating was down right ridiculous. The leg attacks are 2 big points of this match, since both competitors’ leg gets worked at a point, although Dustin’s leg is the main focal point. The leg work is ok, but nothing to impress you with, as mainly its strikes, no Dragon Screws, no Leg Whips, no Grounded Twists, just mainly strikes. When Kash tries the Figure Four and Dustin reverses to a school boy, I was hoping for Tenay to say something like “His father beat Ric Flair for the NWA Title once with that reversal” but knowing Mike Tenay these days, he has a time remembering what happened 19 minutes ago, let alone 19 years. But it’s once again another weak finish, as Dustin finishes him with a Bulldog. The name may say NWA, but you don’t need to use finishing moves from 25 years ago that have become transitions. *3/4
Raven vs. Erik Watts
The TNA logic falls into this again, as we are never informed its No DQ, but we still see Raven use a chair. Watts is just horrendously bad here, as he can’t sell or work honestly. I don’t care if he nearly committed suicide days before the show; he was never able to work a match before that anyway. The submission sequence is also laughable, and it makes a sequence done by HHH and Orton look like a Minoru Tanaka and Takehiro Murahama exchange. The wrong man also goes over, as Watts finishes Raven with a Nodowa Otoshi. Honestly, why put Watts over? It accomplishes nothing. 3/4*
Jeff Hardy vs. Scott Hall
This should be “Kilo of Coke on a Pole” but with Piper being ref, he’d probably turn it into a Triple Threat. Piper searches Hall and finds some brass knucks and other weapons, but no drugs? I guess he’s clean for the match; go knows if I weren’t Straight Edge I wouldn’t be.
Oh, there’s also a “wrestling match” about to take place. This match… well…. um…. sucks? Good enough analogy? I don’t know who has worse hair though, Hardy or Hall? Actually, who’s the most doped up? Logic says Hall, but something about that paint on Hardy says something. But I just answered my question with another question, what the f*cks up with that? Oh, there’s a “wrestling match” taking place, I’d never have guessed it. Hardy wins with teh Swanton because he’s rox0rz and Tenay jizzes all over him. Oh yes, I have to rate the “wrestling match”. DUD
Number One Contenders Battle Royal: Monty Brown vs. DDP vs. Kevin Nash
This match is just practically I hit a move, we lay round for a bit, and then we hit another move. The smarted option here is constantly build the over the rope eliminations. I don’t mean laying on the ropes, but some nice build like falling to the apron and stuff. The elimination with Nash is hilarious, as he lands on the apron, sits there and then drops off of the apron. Now I don’t know if Nash just remembered he was meant to fall to the floor or he just can’t take a bump like that anymore. It’s hard to put your money on either. The match picks up with Nash gone, but it doesn’t mean it gets any better. I’ll give DDP this though, his moveset may be rendered to lariats, cradles and the Diamond Cutter, but he still has the willingness to bump around. I say if DDP had 6 months to work out and get the ring rust off before returning, he could’ve been having ok matches. Brown takes this after reverse the Diamond Cutter into the Pounce. After this match I only have 2 things to say. 1) I’m glad it’s over and 2) This match made TNA make even less sense in the coming months. *
This PPV has gone down pretty quick, but can the acclaimed tag match bring it back to life? Let’s see.
NWA Tag Titles: Team Canada vs. AMW
This starts out with a huge brawl; the biggest point of it is Young getting a huge lump on his head. My problem is, its there, why not go after it? I mean, it just makes it seem silly when a guy has a huge lump on his head and the guys don’t go after it. AMW’s offence is quickly stopped by Team Canada and here comes the biggest problem of the match, Team Canada hit the chinlock a lot, Storm fights up, and then gets knocked back down and back into the chinlock. Once again, I don’t see the hype behind the two teams and in the end; it makes me hard to get into their matches unlike a match like The Briscoes vs. Super Dragon and B-Boy.
Storm finally makes the tag, and the match gets good from there, with exchanges being good and the crowd getting pretty hot. A nice spot comes when AMW find the cuffs left from Piper earlier and use them on D’Amore. Team Canada throw everything at AMW, but it just isn’t working. Team Canada start cheating, but in the end that’s they’re downfall because a Devine chair shot accidentally hits Young, allowing AMW to pick up the win. A nice tag match, but Jesus, that’s 6th time the title had changed hands since September. Choose a team and stick to it. ***1/4.
X-Division Title, Ultimate X: Petey Williams vs. Chris Sabin vs. AJ Styles
One of my biggest gripes comes before the match, much like the last match and that’s the champion not entering last. The champion should always enter last. One of my major problems with this feud was this match came WAY too early. The match though, it starts out with some nice action, but when the big spots come, that’s when the problem occurs in that most of the spots are tremendous, but there’s nothing in between really. Notice I say most of the spots, as some look very contrived. The biggest culprit of this being the spot where Williams is left hanging from the wires, while Sabin and Styles fight a bit. Now he obviously has the chance to grab the belt, but doesn’t for some reason. Then when Styles isn’t able to bring him down, he just falls. Negativity aside, they do bring lots of great spots, but that in the end is what saves the match.
The match looks to be going on the upside as they introduce to arm work on Styles, and Styles does some of the best selling I’ve seen from him. They even lift a spot from Danielson vs. Styles from Main Event Spectacles, in that Styles gets placed in a Triangle Choke, but he’s able to fight out and hit the one armed Styles Clash. His selling while climbing is also nice, as he falls. Once he’s down though, he’s killed with the Canadian Destroyer. Petey causes a problem for himself in that he spikes Sabin with a Tornado DDT and then tries to real him in and try the Destroyer, but he decides against it and his climbing gives Sabin the time to cut him off and hit him with a running Crucifixion Bomb in the corner. Petey would’ve won the match if he had have just taken Sabin down with the Destroyer. The problem with the finish is that Sabin is way ahead of Petey when climbing, and has to stop once he’s to the belt and wait for Petey. Then out of nowhere, Styles springs in and knocks the belt down. What would’ve been better was if Styles used his left arm to knock it down, not the right, since it was the arm attacked. Still, it’s a good match, but not as good as the best Ultimate X (Ki/Daniels/Sabin/Shane is the best). ***3/4
NWA Title: Jeff Jarrett vs. Monty Brown
This is what would be a WWE style main event, as they use a lot of brawling. They have a nice little story here, in that Jarrett is going to go to any lengths to keep Monty from winning the title, but the workrate just isn’t there. The brawling section gets this over very well, but once again it’s the TNA Logic. Is it No DQ? We have to assume so. Once we hit the ring, it slows down a little and then what just happens contradicts what just happened in the crowd, as the ref stops Jarrett from using the belt. He didn’t stop him from using that business chair in the crowd, so why stop him from using the belt? The chinlock works in the psychology sense that Jarrett is trying to choke him out, but they have no idea how to work an entertaining hold and it’s just boring.
Once Monty fights up, it picks up a little and he hits the Alpha Bomb and perhaps the lamest Swinging Neckbreaker in wrestling that he cools the “Circle of Life”. We then hit the overbooking, which works in a sense that it once again gets Jarrett’s any lengths necessary attitude over, but it gets to the point that it’s beyond silly. After A LOT of overbooking, Jarrett is able to jab Monty with the remains of a guitar and hit 3 Strokes for win. Problem with the finish is that the Stroke is such a lame finisher, and how can it live up to chair, belt and guitar shots. Another problem that is the wrong man went over. The booking for the match was perfect for Monty to overcome the punishment and take the match, but once again Jarrett has to go over. **1/2
