A2Z Analysiz: TNA Genesis 2007 (Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Sting, Booker T)

PPVs, Reviews, Wrestling DVDs

genesis 2007

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Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – November 11, 2007

Mike Tenay and Don West are on commentary.

MATCH #1: Shop of Horrors – Abyss vs. Black Reign

Reign jumps Abyss before he even gets down the ramp and the fight starts there. They quickly make their way into the ring for some more brawling, but they don’t stay there very long. Abyss spreads out some of the weapons and of course they backfire on him. Back in the ring the opposite becomes true, as Abyss makes good use of the weapons to take control. Abyss finds a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire and uses it to great effect. Reign bails and goes up the ramp but Abyss gives chase, slowly. Abyss grabs Reign and chokeslams him off the stage and onto some padding on the floor. Not that I would advise taking that bump, but if you can’t make it look like there’s not tons of padding there, just don’t do it. Back up by the ring Abyss finds a tray full of mouse traps and puts that in the ring. Abyss then squeezes Reign’s hands in a vise. James Mitchell comes out and gives Reign some brass knuckles. Abyss threatens to drop the rat on the mouse traps but instead hands it to Mitchell, who tries to make it look like the rat is attacking him. Reign is able to hit Abyss with the Blackout onto the mouse traps but it only gets two. He blasts Abyss with a kendo stick three times and then charges right into a Black Hole Slam and Abyss gets the pin at 10:20. That was another boring Abyss brawl punctuated with using a rat as an offensive weapon. The less said the better.
Rating: ½*

After the match, Rellik makes his debut and he helps Black Reign obliterate Abyss on the ramp. They put him in a black box and dump it off the ramp. Rellik is killer spelled backwards.

MATCH #2: The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Team 3D

This was during the “Team 3D hates the X-Division” angle. Some blonde interviews the Guns backstage, and I’m not sure who she is. The Guns attack Team 3D in the aisle and we’re on. They take an early advantage and use their double team skills. Team 3D is reeling in the early going, so they take a powder and try to collect themselves. Ray and Devon finally get it together and double team Sabin. However the Guns come back right away and frustrate 3D. They dump Ray to the floor and knock Devon down in the ring. Shelley and Sabin go up separate turnbuckles and look to leap down on Devon, but Ray knocks them both down and Devon superplexes Shelley down to the mat. Team 3D are really in control now, working Shelley over in their half of the ring for several minutes. Shelley fights back with a superkick on Devon and makes the hot tag to Sabin. Ray comes in the ring illegally but Sabin thwarts both Brothers. Sabin hits a springboard clothesline on Devon for two. A tornado DDT gets another two. The Guns use their double team skills to confound the veterans. Ray makes a blind tag and he takes out the Guns with clotheslines. They hit the What’s Up on Shelley and Devon grabs a table. Sabin kicks it right back into his face and then tries a sunset flip on Ray. It gets blocked but Sabin avoids a falling Ray and the Guns hit the High-Low on Devon but Ray pulls the referee out. Shelley tries to slingshot out on Devon but hits nothing but floor. Ray and Sabin are in the ring now, and Ray whips Sabin with a belt. Team 3D hits the Doomsday Device but Sabin kicks out! Frustrated, Team 3D brings a table into the ring. Sabin avoids getting thrown into the table and Devon winds up going through it instead. Shelley recovers and the Guns hit Ray with a series of kicks to the head for the clean pin at 17:37. That was one of the best matches I’ve seen from Team 3D through their tenure in TNA. It actually did a lot to make Shelley and Sabin look good.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #3: TNA Knockout Women’s Championship – Gail Kim vs. ODB vs. Angel Williams vs. Roxxi Laveaux

Laveaux is accompanied by BG James and Kip James, the Voodoo Kin Mafia. Kim has been the champion since 10.14.07, and this is her first defense. The challengers gang up on Kim, which is just rude. The champion fights back and referee Shane Sewell sends both Kip and BG back to the locker room. Laveaux and ODB work together on Williams, and then ODB just starts spanking everyone. The partnership doesn’t last too long before ODB is hitting the Dirty Dozen on Laveaux. Kim makes her way back in and hits ODB with an enziguiri. She knocks Laveaux to the floor and wipes her out with a dive off the top rope. Williams and ODB trade shots in the ring now and they trade control. Laveaux comes back in and they work in a Tower of Doom spot. Kim comes back in the ring with a missile dropkick on Laveaux and all four Knockouts are down. Laveaux and the champ are the first to their feet and Kim has her second wind. Kim hits a Rough Ryder off the second rope and ODB breaks up the cover. ODB gets rid of Williams, and then Laveaux spits some kind of mist into her eyes. Kim takes Laveaux out with a Spear, and then hits ODB with the straightjacket neckbreaker to get the pin at 9:03. That was a little chaotic but the pace was quick and most of the offense looked good.
Rating: **¼

MATCH #4: TNA X Division Championship – Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt

Lethal has been the champion since 9.9.07, and this is his second defense. They immediately set a fast pace and they show off how well they know each other from almost a year of being tag team partners. Tempers flare early on but they make nice with each other. It doesn’t last long though and they start throwing slaps again. Dutt throws Lethal to the floor and wipes him out with a dive. Back in the ring Dutt goes to work on the champion and cuts off his comeback attempts. Lethal fights back with a moonsault off the second rope, and then he wipes Dutt out with a dive on the floor. The champ keeps up the quick pace to keep Dutt off balance. Dutt fights back with an enziguiri and a moonsault for two. He follows with the standing Shooting Star Press for two. Dutt tries the Asai DDT but Lethal slams him down on the mat. Dutt counters with an impressive DDT and an Ace Crusher, and then rolls into the Camel Clutch. Lethal escapes and is able to hit the Lethal Combination from out of nowhere. He goes up top and hits the Flying Elbow to get the pin at 12:02. As far as back and forth X Division matches go, this was perfectly adequate. Lethal worked in some cool spots.
Rating: ***

After the match Lethal, Dutt, and SoCal Val celebrate in the ring and Team 3D comes running out for the beat-down. They say the Machine Guns cheated earlier, so they are taking the X Division Title belt hostage until further notice.

MATCH #5: TNA Tag Team Championship – AJ Styles & Tomko vs. The Steiner Brothers

Styles and Tomko have been the champions since 10.14.07, and this is their second defense. Scott and Styles start the match with some mat wrestling. That goes how you would expect until Scott gets distracted by Tomko on the apron, allowing Styles to hit an enziguiri that knocks him to the floor. Styles follows him out with a dive. Back in the ring Scott hits a suplex and makes the tag to his brother, so Styles tags Tomko. Rick hits a very unsafe looking Death Valley Driver right away. Well this match is just going in circles. The match breaks down and the Steiners hit their Doomsday Bulldog on Styles and Tomko breaks up the pin. Scott goes outside to continue the assault on Tomko, which is where the referee goes. Meanwhile, Rick hits Styles with a powerbomb and the referee gets bumped on the floor. Styles responds by bringing in a chair and blasting Rick in the head with it to get the pin at 10:46. It’s sad that they felt the need to protect Rick Steiner like that. What a dull match, lame finish.
Rating: *½

MATCH #6: Samoa Joe vs. Robert Roode

Roode is accompanied by Ms. Brooks. Joe chases Roode around ringside before the bell and he actually slips and falls. I’m sorry but that’s just funny. They make it into the ring and Joe is dominant. Roode is able to knock Joe to the floor and he tries a house show dive but Joe easily avoids it. Joe then hits Roode with the Elbow Suicida. He continues the abuse, right in front of Roode’s mystery fan (Rain, Payton Banks). Roode fights back with a suplex on the entrance ramp. Joe responds by throwing Roode into the steps and then kicking him in the head. Back in the ring Joe hits the Big Joe Combo (the combo named by Brad Garoon). Roode comes back with a Blockbuster for a one-count. Roode chokes a lot to wear Joe down and keep the big Samoan off his feet. After several minutes Joe is able to grab an Ace Crusher from out of nowhere and both men are down. Back on their feet Joe takes control, hitting a Samoan Drop for two. The cameraman catches that Ms. Brooks is unconscious on the floor. How did that happen? Meanwhile Joe has Roode in the STF and Roode gets to the ropes. Joe goes for the Choke but Roode fights it off with a low blow and a DDT for two. Roode charges into the corner and Joe catches him with the STJoe. Joe goes for the Muscle Buster but Roode counters and hits the Northern Lariat for two. Roode hits a Piledriver but again only gets a two-count. He goes for the Payoff but Joe reverses it to the Muscle Buster to get the pin at 15:48. That was probably Roode’s best match ever to that point. Joe made him look really good, and this Joe looks fantastic for going over him clean. It’s simple really.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #7: Fight for the Right Finals (Ladder Match) – Kaz vs. Christian Cage

This tournament started with 16 guys in a reverse battle royal, which is so stupid. From there it became an eight-man tournament, in which Kaz beat Lance Hoyt and James Storm to get to the finals, and Cage beat Samoa Joe and Chris Harris. Cage has asked his partners AJ Styles and Tomko to not come down to ringside at all tonight. They trade control back and forth in the early going, with Kaz eager to show that he belongs in this high position. The ladder gets involved early on, with Cage taking possession of it and Kaz delivering an Asai Moonsault to send the ladder back on Cage! A close up shot shows Cage is bleeding from the mouth and from the head. Even so Cage takes control of the match and drops Kaz on a ladder set up between the ring and the guardrail. Cage then comes off the top rope with a Frog Splash! He makes the first attempt at climbing the ladder but Kaz is able to stop him. Kaz then whips Cage into a ladder set up in the corner. They continue using the ladder as a weapon in increasingly vicious ways. Kaz makes his first attempt at climbing the ladder and Cage sets up a ladder right next to him and climbs that one. Cage is able to take Kaz down with an inverted DDT. He sets up a ladder in the corner but it backfires as Kaz monkey flips him right on top of it, and then follows with a springboard legdrop! Kaz sets Cage on a ladder and climbs up another ladder but misses a legdrop! Ouch. Cage sets up a ladder now and climbs, but Kaz takes him down with a missile dropkick. AJ Styles and Tomko run down as Cage and Kaz fight on top of a ladder. The ladder tips over and Cage lands on Styles and Tomko! Kaz pushes off the top rope and is able to bring the contract down at 15:15! They were able to find a good blend of high spots that also made it look like they wanted to hurt each other and not just pop the crowd, which is a difficult thing to do in ladder matches these days. This is probably Kaz’s best match ever in TNA.
Rating: ****

MATCH #8: Tag for the Title Main Event – Kurt Angle & Kevin Nash vs. Sting & ???

Angle has been the champion since 10.25.07, and this is his first defense. Tag team matches for singles titles are stupid. The mystery partner turns out to be Booker T, which Tenay and West put over like the Second Coming. Angle and Sting start the match for their teams. Sting gets the advantage and frustrates Angle, so he bails and makes the tag. Nash goes to work on Sting as the crowd chants for Booker. Sting gives them what they want and Angle tags in as well. Booker takes it to Angle much to the crowd’s delight. Angle cuts him off and makes the tag to Nash, who delivers a side suplex for a two-count. The hot tag is made and Sting is on fire. Sting goes for the Scorpion Deathlock on Nash but Angle breaks it up with a suplex. Now Angle and Nash take over on Sting. In an odd twist, Angle and Nash break up each other’s pinfall attempts because the rules of this match state that whoever gets the fall wins the title. That’s just so, so stupid. Angle goes for an Olympic Slam but Sting counters with a DDT. Sting makes the tag and Booker cleans house. Booker hits Angle with a powerslam and then the Axe Kick but Nash breaks up the cover. Nash comes in the ring illegally and the referee counts a fall on him for some reason. Come on Rudy Charles, get your head in the game! Nash hits Booker with the Jackknife and Sting hits Nash with the Scorpion Death Drop. Karen Angle distracts the referee, allowing AJ Styles and Tomko to interfere. That brings out Sharmell, Booker T’s wife. Sharmell and Karen get into a catfight on the floor, distracting the referee. That allows Angle to hit Nash with the belt, and then hit Sting with the Olympic Slam to get the pin at 13:39. Nash and Angle have no chemistry together so the heat they were supposed to have wasn’t there and the match just felt blah. The finish was clever, with Angle taking out his own partner, but like I said, with no heat it didn’t feel like a big deal at all.
Rating: **

BONUS MATCH: TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match – Kurt Angle vs. Kaz, Impact, 11.15.07

Angle has been the champion since 10.25.07, and this is his second defense. This is Kaz’s first shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Tenay makes it sound like Kaz’s only reachable goal is looking competitive, which doesn’t really make me interested in seeing the outcome of the match. Despite this, Kaz looks good in the early going, working on Angle’s arm. Angle comes back by dumping Kaz to the floor as they go to commercial. Back from the break Angle hits a belly-to-belly suplex and looks confident. Kaz fights back and they take each other down with simultaneous clotheslines. Back on their feet Kaz gets a second wind and hits a springboard missile dropkick for two. Angle grabs the Ankle Lock out of nowhere but Kaz kicks him off and gets an inside cradle for two. The champ cuts him off with a hard release German Suplex, and then the straps come down. Angle goes for the Olympic Slam but Kaz slips out and hits a dropkick. Kaz goes for the Wave of the Future and Angle blocks the first attempt but can’t block the second. Karen distracts the referee and Angle hits a low blow and the Olympic Slam but it only gets two! Angle goes up top and Kaz blasts him with a kick to the face. Kaz goes up and hits the Flux Capacitor but Angle kicks out! He goes for the Wave of the Future again and they botch the rollup finish but Angle gets the pin anyway at 10:03 (shown). The finish wasn’t bad in theory, just in practice. Another good showing for Kaz, but sadly four years later he has never gotten any higher than this.
Rating: ***½

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