A2Z Analysiz: TNA Best of 2009 (Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Sting)

Reviews, Top Story, Wrestling DVDs

DVD Release Date: February 16, 2010

MATCH #1: Sarita vs. Alissa Flash, iMPACT!, 7.16.09

This is the Knockouts Match of the Year. Both women are making their TNA debuts in this match. Flash tells the ring announcer to refer to her as “the future legend.” She starts the match by spitting her gum at Sarita. That doesn’t go over too well with Sarita, who dropkicks Flash to the floor and follows her out with a suicide dive. Flash comes back by shoving Sarita into the ring post and then bodyslamming her on the floor. She kicks Sarita in the chest and throws her back in the ring. Flash hits a bodyslam for a two-count. She continues working Sarita over in the corner with kicks and punches. Sarita gets whipped into the corner and climbs up the buckles to hit a high cross body block for two. Flash comes back with a clothesline. Sarita comes back with a series of kicks and goes for a cross armbreaker but Flash avoids it and hits a curb stomp. Flash hits a spinning slam for two. She German Suplexes Sarita right into the turnbuckle for another two-count. She picks Sarita up for another suplex of some kind but Sarita reverses it to a victory roll for the pin at 4:44. Really, that was the best knockouts match of the entire year? I mean it was fine for a five minute TV match, but this was best of nothing. Sarita goes for a handshake and Flash gives her a Michinoku Driver instead. That went nowhere.
Rating: *¾

MATCH #2: Tables Match – AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle, iMPACT!, 1.22.09

This is the iMPACT Match of the Year. I think these two have wrestled about a thousand times. They start slowly, like due to how well they know each other in the ring. Angle takes Styles down with a side headlock. Styles gets to his feet and blasts Angle with a dropkick, sending the Olympic Gold Medalist retreating to the floor. Back in the ring Angle tries pushing Styles to the floor, but Styles hooks him with his legs and dumps Angle to the floor instead. Styles follows Angle out with a flying forearm off the apron. He sets up a table and Angle scurries back to the ring as we take a commercial break. We’re back and Angle is in control. Angle hits Styles with a belly-to-belly suplex. He brings a table into the ring and slams Styles’ face into it. Angle has a small cut on his hand thanks to the “underbelly of the table” (I miss Don West). He sets up the table and Styles knocks it on its side before he can be slammed through it. Styles drops Angle nuts-first onto the edge of the table. That gives him the advantage, as he unleashes on Angle. Styles hits the springboard flying forearm. He tries the Styles Clash but Angle blocks it and is able to turn it into an Ankle Lock. Styles comes back with the Pele and then sets Angle on the table. He goes up to the top rope and tries to splash Angle through the table, but Angle moves out of the way and Styles smashes his face on the table. That gives Angle the chance to hit the Angle Slam through the table to get the victory at 8:57. That was a really well put together tables match. These two did have great chemistry together, but again I must ask was this REALLY the best match on Impact all year?
Rating: ***½

MATCH #3: Empty Arena Match – Sting vs. Kurt Angle, iMPACT!, 2.19.09

This is the Grudge Match of the Year. Sting is the TNA World Champion, but the title is not on the line here. How lame is it that both guys come out to their entrance music and pyrotechnics? They start out throwing punches and Sting dumps Angle to the floor. Sting throws Angle over the barricade and into the chairs. Angle fires back with a series of punches. Then Sting blocks one and throws his own punches. They take turns whipping each other into stuff. The fight continues up a flight of stairs and Sting throws Angle over them and down to the floor. Angle doesn’t even sell it for 10 seconds before going back on offense. They make it back to ringside and Angle hits a low blow. Angle grabs a chair, but Sting blocks it and whacks Angle across the back with the chair. Sting looks to hit him with the chair again, but Angle begs off, saying he’s sorry. The match pretty much ends at this point, somewhere around the 5:00 mark (no bells). Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner come out for some reason, and then Angle changes his tune, begging Sting to hit him. Sting is going to do it, but Nash stops him. Nash plays peacemaker and forces Angle to make it right. Angle and Sting shake hands and then Angle spits on him, reigniting the brawl. That was dreadfully boring and painfully stupid.
Rating: DUD

MATCH #4: No Disqualification Grudge Match – Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett, Genesis, 1.11.09

This is the Number Five Match of the Year. I gave the first match back at Bound for Glory ***½. Jarrett charges the ring and the match is underway. Angle tries a sleeper but Jarrett hits a blatant low blow. Jarrett hits an Electric Chair drop, and then clotheslines Angle to the floor. He follows Angle out and throws him into the guardrails. Then he throws a beer in Angle’s face. He throws Angle back in the ring, but Angle is able to recover and knock Jarrett off the apron before he can get back in the ring himself. Back in the ring now Angle is in control. Looking at the two matches to come after this, I wonder why this isn’t the main event. Jarrett recovers and backdrops Angle hard to the floor. Man, Angle takes some ridiculous bumps. Speaking of ridiculous bumps, Jarrett leaps over the top rope and catches his back foot on the top rope and almost bashes his face into the floor. They fight over by the broadcast table now and Angle is back in control. Angle hits a sick shot to Jarrett’s head with the ring bell, and Jarrett is busted open. Jarrett fights back and hits a DDT on the entrance ramp. Both men rise to their feet and continue fighting on the stage. Angle grabs Jarrett and hits a sick Angle Slam through a table. Jarrett appears to have taken a pretty nasty bump there. It looks like Angle is bleeding now too. They eventually make their way back to the ring and start trading punches. Jarrett fires up and takes the advantage, hitting a Pedigree (or a DDT, if you’re Tenay) for two. He tries the Stroke, but Angle counters to the Ankle Lock. Jarrett counters and rolls Angle to the floor. Angle gets fired up and brings a chair into the ring. Jarrett dropkicks the chair into Angle’s face and hits the Stroke, but Angle kicks out at two! He puts Angle on the top rope and tries a superplex but Angle shoves him down to the mat. Angle hits a missile dropkick and then hits the Angle Slam for two. He tries the Ankle Lock again but Jarrett kicks him away. Angle charges and Jarrett moves, and Angle’s shoulder connects with the ring post. Jarrett grabs the guitar but Angle counters with a low blow. Angle grabs a chair and clobbers Jarrett with it, but it only gets two! Jarrett recovers while Angle yells at the referee. He tries an Enziguiri but Angle catches it and locks on the Ankle Lock. Jarrett eventually rolls through to a victory roll but Angle kicks out. Angle tries another Angle Slam but Jarrett counters to a DDT. Jarrett takes his turn clobbering Angle with a chair, but can’t make an immediate cover. He finally crawls over and gets a two-count, but Angle surprises him with a quick rollup of his own to get the pin at 21:59! What a great finish. That was significantly better than their first match, and the best match I’ve seen out of Jarrett in who knows how long.
Rating: ****

MATCH #5: Ultimate X Match for TNA X Division Championship – Amazing Red vs. Homicide vs. Suicide vs. Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin vs. Daniels, Bound for Glory, 10.18.09

Red has been the champion since 10.8.09 and this is already his second defense. D’Angelo Dinero was originally scheduled for this match, but had a family emergency and had to bail at the last minute. So on the preshow the Motor City Machineguns battled Lethal Consequences, and the Guns got the win, and they’re in the match. This should be pretty fast and pretty furious, action-wise. Everyone is going 100 mph right away, with guys flying all over in and out of the ring. Everyone except Daniels and Red are on the floor, and Red remedies that by delivering a rana on Daniels from the top rope, crashing into everybody. Back in the ring the Guns double-team Red and then turn their attention to Daniels. Sabin has been in 10 Ultimate X matches, which I’m assuming is the most ever. No one’s paying attention to Homicide, so he climbs up and goes for the belt, but Suicide stops him at the last minute. The Guns continue to work together, and one has to wonder what would happen if it came down to the two of them going after the belt. Red thwarts their attacks, but that doesn’t slow down the pace of the match at all. Daniels, Homicide, and Suicide are wearing pink armbands somewhere on their person; not sure what that’s about. Kicks and suplexes are being thrown around by everyone. Daniels, Suicide, and Red climb all the way to the top of the X steel structure. Red rests while Daniels and Suicide slug it out. Daniels is the first one to climb down and try to grab the belt, and Suicide stops him. They continue battling while Sabin and Shelley climb up. Suicide and Daniels take a nasty looking fall, while Red calmly drops down and grabs the belt for the win at 15:16. That was the right choice to open the show, with tons of sick high spots. The big fall at the end made Red’s win anticlimactic, but overall this was fun.
Rating: ***

MATCH #6: Heavyweight Championship – Sting vs. AJ Styles, Bound for Glory, 10.18.09

Styles has been the champion since 9.20.09, and this is his first defense. I really hate the entire buildup to this match, wherein Styles looks like an ineffectual chump who can’t even win a match on his own without Sting’s help. I just hate the Sting character’s holier-than-thou attitude. The champion is the aggressor early on, grinding away with a headlock. Sting comes back with a hiptoss. They go back and forth with Styles using his agility to wow the veteran challenger. Sting then locks on a headlock, and then knocks Styles down with a shoulderblock. He misses an elbow drop, and then Sting misses a knee drop, as the crowd chants “TNA.” The challenger takes control and clotheslines the champion over the top rope to the floor. Then Sting holds the ropes open for Styles, which is so lame. Styles makes him pay for it with an enziguiri. Sting comes back with a couple of face plants and a big back body drop. Styles hits the big dropkick, which sends Sting to the floor. He tries jumping off the apron but Sting moves and he crashes into the guardrail. Moments later Sting tries to charge into Styles, and he meets the same fate. Back in the ring both are acting like nothing happened, so they start slugging it out. Styles tries a charge in the corner and misses, and then tries another charge and takes a boot to the face. He tries a tombstone piledriver, but Sting reverses to one of his own for a near-fall. Styles is so hurt that he rolls to the apron, but then decides he’s okay enough to hit a springboard forearm for two. A backbreaker gets another two-count. They trade Scorpion Death Drop attempts, and Sting is able to land one as the morons in the crowd chant “This Is Wrestling.” Sting hits a Stinger Splash and lands another Scorpion Death Drop but Styles once again kicks out. He locks on the Scorpion Deathlock, and Styles simply powers out of it. Back on their feet they trade blows until Sting Hulks Up and hits a clothesline for two. Sting lifts Styles up to the top rope, and Styles knocks Sting down with a headbutt. Styles falls to the apron and hits a Pele. He follows up with a springboard splash to get the pin and retain the title at 13:52. That was a severely anticlimactic finish to a dull, boring main event. Also, they built this up as Sting’s last match, which we know as of this writing is not the case, so what was the point really?
Rating: *½

MATCH #7: Grudge Match – Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle, Turning Point, 11.15.09

Imagine Nigel McGuinness teaming with Wade Barrett on NXT. They start cautiously with some chain wrestling. Angle takes the first advantage and goes after the arm. The idiots in the crowd are chanting “this is wrestling” less than two minutes into the match. I don’t think they’ve invented a word yet for the kind of hate I have for TNA fans. Wolfe comes back and works on the arm as well. Taz explains how Wolfe working on the arm takes away Angle’s suplexes, so Angle responds by hitting Wolfe with a suplex. Angle charges into the corner and Wolfe moves, so Angle’s shoulder crashes into the ring post. Wolfe continues dissecting the arm for several minutes. Angle comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex and a flurry of clotheslines for a two-count. Wolfe tries a lariat but Angle ducks and hits six rolling German Suplexes. Angle tries the Angle slam but Wolfe armdrags his way out of it and hits a lariat for two. Wolfe goes for the Tower of London but Angle reverses to the Angle Slam for two. Angle looks to be going for another suplex but Wolfe snaps his arm down and locks on the London Dungeon. I’m disappointed TNA hasn’t come up with names for Wolfe’s big moves, and that the Dungeon gets almost no reaction. Angle rolls through and locks on the Ankle Lock. Wolfe reverses to a nasty looking arm submission of his own. Angle counters again with the Ankle Lock. Wolfe reaches the ropes. Angle goes for another Angle Slam but Wolfe counters with a DDT. Wolfe hits the Tower of London this time but still only gets a two-count. He sets up for another lariat but Angle surprises him with one of his own. Angle goes up and misses a moonsault, so Wolfe locks on the London Dungeon again, and Angle reaches the ropes. Wolfe goes for another Tower of London, but then switches gears for a superplex. Angle punches his way out of it and hits a Frog Splash for two. He sets up for a Tombstone Piledriver and Wolfe reverses, but Angle slips out of that and lock son the Ankle Lock. Angle switches to a triangle choke and Wolfe immediately taps out at 16:21. That match was going along really well but I really hated the out of nowhere finish. It’s also sad to reflect on how much momentum Wolfe had upon his debut and how little of that he has left now.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #8: Three Way Match – AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels, Turning Point, 11.15.09

Styles has been the champion since 9.20.09, and this is his second defense. I appreciate the fact that TNA tried hard to build this feud up, but the exchanges between Styles and Daniels reeked of afternoon soap opera drama. Daniels takes the first shot when he punches Styles, and then he punches Joe. Styles quickly gets back to his feet and everyone is going after everyone; no alliances here. The action is quite fast and hard to follow in the early going here. Styles gets a quick O’Connor Roll on Daniels for a two-count. Joe regroups on the floor while Styles and Daniels battle it out. Styles hits a dropkick, and has one for Joe as well. Joe once again takes a breather and Styles grabs Daniels in a side headlock. Styles kicks Joe down to the floor and keeps the headlock on. Joe trips Styles from the floor and then Daniels hits him with an STO. Back in the ring now Joe works Daniels over in the corner. Daniels goes to the floor, leaving Joe and Styles to fight. Styles hits a vertical suplex. They go back and forth, and then Daniels gets back in the ring and locks Styles in a Boston Crab and Joe in a Camel Clutch at the same time. Joe breaks that by biting Daniels, and then hits the STJoe. He face washes everyone and looks to be firmly in control. Styles is able to send Joe to the floor, and he hits Daniels with a vertical suplex. He tries a springboard on Joe, but Joe kicks his leg out. Daniels wipes Joe out with a suicide dive. He goes for the Arabian Press but Styles catches him. Joe locks Daniels in the Choke on the floor, and Styles breaks that hold with the Fozzberry Flop. Back in the ring Styles hits Joe with a headscissors. The champion is flying all over the place, hitting Daniels with a springboard hurricanrana for a two-count. Joe comes back and powerbombs Styles for two, and then locks on the Samoan Crab. He turns that into the STF and then a Crossface. Styles reaches the ropes. Joe hits Styles with the snap powerslam for two. Daniels comes back with some more simultaneous offense. This match is cool. Taz calling the almost 40-years-old Daniels “kid” is funny. Styles hits Daniels with the suplex/neckbreaker hybrid. Joe recovers and unleashes strikes on both men, and Daniels responds in kind. Styles hits Daniels with the Pele. He backdrops Daniels to the floor and then hits Joe with the springboard forearm for two. He gets Joe with a rana for two. He this the back flip into a reverse DDT for another two. He tries the same move on Daniels, but Daniels counters with the Last Rites. Daniels hits Joe with a release German Suplex. Joe comes back and crotches Daniels on the top rope and hits him with the Muscle Buster for two. He traps Styles in the rolling sunset flip for two. Styles comes back with a spin kick to the face. Daniels breaks up the Styles Clash with an enziguiri and then goes for another Last Rites. That doesn’t work either and a series of reversals ends with Joe breaking it up and hitting both men with a clothesline. Styles and Daniels team up to take out Joe, harkening back to their days as TNA World Tag Team Champions. They take the match to the apron and then up to the ropes. Joe knocks Styles to the floor and then goes for a Muscle Buster on Daniels. That gets countered with an STO, and then Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever. Styles gets back up and on the top rope and hits Daniels with a 450 Splash (his knees landed right in Daniels’s back, ouch), and then pins Joe to retain the title at 21:49. I haven’t seen every match from TNA in 2009, but I’m pretty sure this is a good choice for number one. The action was pretty much non-stop from the opening bell and they came up with some pretty creative spots. It makes me want to go back and watch the original Unbreakable match to see how it compares.
Rating: ****½

~BONUS~

2009 Music Video

This video shows some highlights (and lowlights, I’m looking at you Cody Deaner). It’s just over two minutes and the song is absolutely atrocious.

Hulk Hogan Announcement

This is footage from the Press Conference at Madison Square Garden, where Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan were announced as coming in to run TNA. Dixie Carter verbally fellates Hogan, and Hogan verbally fellates himself.

Dixie Carter Interview

This is about 10 minutes long, with hard hitting broadcast journalist Mike Tenay asking the questions. They talk about various topics like her being the boss, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, and more. She says they’re not trying to recreate history, but make history. She says this in the same breath as mentioning Hogan coming in. That’s funny.

The Pulse: I like the idea of releasing best of sets like this (they did one in 2007, but not 2008?), and overall it’s worth having, especially if you don’t buy all the pay-per-view DVDs. Half of the matches are ***½ or higher, and the AJ Styles versus Daniels versus Samoa Joe match is ridiculously awesome. A couple of the matches are puzzling choices, but overall it’s a solid disc. You can purchase it right here.

I grew up and now I write for Inside Pulse. Oh, and one time I saw a blimp!