A2Z Analysiz: TNA Final Resolution 2008 (Christian Cage, Kurt Angle)

PPVs, Reviews, Wrestling DVDs

final resolution 2008 - 1

Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – January 6, 2008

Intro

This is the last Final Resolution to be held in January. The video package focuses on the TNA World Championship, TNA World Tag Team Championship, and TNA Women’s Championship matches. Mike Tenay and Don West are on commentary.

MATCH #1: The Latin American Xchange vs. Lance Hoyt & Jimmy Rave

Hoyt and Rave are accompanied by Christy Hemme. This is the first TNA match of 2008. Homicide and Rave start it off. These two once wrestled for another organization’s World Title, and here they are now in a meaningless opening tag match. Not that I think either of them should necessarily be higher on the TNA card at this point, I’m just saying. Tags are made and the two power guys challenge each other now. The referee loses control and Hernandez takes Hoyt out with a dive over the top rope to the floor. Now the LAX focuses on Rave. Hoyt comes in the ring illegally and sends Hernandez to the floor, and now they work on Homicide. A blind tag is made and Hernandez comes in en fuego. He hurls Rave over his head with a Crackerjack, and then hits a huge sitout powerbomb. Hoyt hits Hernandez with a big moonsault, which is admittedly impressive. Homicide sends Hoyt to the floor and wipes him out with the Tope Con Hilo. Hernandez goes for the Border Toss on Rave but Hemme makes the save. LAX’s mystery member comes out to observe Hernandez hitting a nasty looking Super Border Toss on Rave to get the pin at 6:48. After the match the mystery member reveals herself as Salinas, also known as Ariel or Shelley Martinez. I love her. The match was okay.
Rating: **

MATCH #2: Kaz vs. Black Reign

Kaz starts off on fire, keeping Reign off guard with his fast-paced offense. Reign takes a powder and Kaz follows him out with a clothesline off the apron. Kaz keeps up the offense out on the floor as they take it up the ramp. Reign fights back and brings Kaz back to the ring. He keeps Kaz on the mat with a much slower offense. Reign hits a kind of Stunner for two. This is just ugly. Kaz fights back with a series of kicks and a spinning neckbreaker for two. He misses the springboard legdrop and Reign hits a modified Pedigree for two. He goes for the Curtain Call but Kaz reverses it to the Wave of the Future to get the pin at 7:29. These two did not mesh well together.
Rating: *½

MATCH #3: No Disqualification Match for the TNA Women’s Championship – Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong

Kim has been the champion since 10.14.07, and this is her third defense. They waste no time taking the fight to the floor. The champion tries to fight up but the challenger is just too strong, throwing her around ringside and then into the ring for the first time. Kong has been completely dominant in the opening minutes. She throws Kim back outside the ring and into the crowd, and follows her out. Kim valiantly fights back on her much larger opponent but Kong continually overpowers her. Back up around ringside Kim attacks Kong’s shoulder but gets fought off again. Kong tries to sue a chair but Kim kicks it back in her face! Kim jumps off the top rope but Kong catches her and slams her down. Kong hits the spinning back fist and goes for the Awesome Bomb but Kim counters it and wisely avoids a vertical splash. Kim goes up top but jumps right into a choke, which Kong turns into the Implant Buster but it only gets two! An unhappy Kong hits referee Slick Johnson with the Awesome Bomb. Kong brings a chair in the ring and hits Johnson with it. That gives Kim the chance to grab the chair and wallop Kong with it repeatedly. With Kong on the mat, Kim goes up top and hits a Superfly Splash. A new referee comes in but Kong is able to kick out! Kong fights back and hits a Chokeslam but Kim kicks out! Once again Kong tries to powerbomb a referee, but this time Kim rolls her up and Charles is able to make the count and Kim retains the title at 12:44! What a great David versus Goliath match, with great action, awesome heat, and a clever finish. This may be the best women’s match in TNA history.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #4: Abyss vs. Judas Mesias

For his character, Mesias has some weird, Scott Hall-like gear. Abyss weathers the early onslaught and clotheslines Mesias to the floor. That’s where Mesias takes control, slamming Abyss’s leg into the ring post. Back in the ring Mesias continues the leg work. I’ve severely lost interest in this match by the time Abyss makes his comeback. Abyss brings a chair in the ring and sets it up in the corner. He kicks Mesias in the groin and then throws him head-first into the chair. Abyss follows up with a Chokeslam but it only gets two. He then retrieves a chair wrapped in barbed wire. While the referee id getting rid of that chair, Mesias brains Abyss with the chair sans barbed wire. Mesias then hits a Superfly Splash for a two-count. Abyss comes back with the Black Hole Slam but Mitchell distracts the referee from making the count. Mitchell keeps the referee distracted as Mesias spits mist into Abyss’s eyes, and then hits Straight to Hell on the barbed wire chair to get the pin at 11:03. The problem with Judas Mesias you see, is that he’s just not very good.
Rating: *¾

Mesias continues the attack after the bell as Mitchell tries to force Abyss to tell The Secret, whatever that turned out to be. They pour gasoline on Abyss and security stops Mitchell just before he can light Abyss on fire.

MATCH #5: Mixed Tag Team Match – Booker T & Sharmell vs. Robert Roode & Ms. Brooks

The men start it off with some stalling. They go back and forth a bit with neither man holding the advantage for very long. Roode uses some dirty tactics to keep T subdued. The women have pretty much been a non-factor through the entire thing except for one cheap shot from Brooks that she felt bad about. See she has no problem with T and Sharmell but Roode is making her fight with him. That’s not very nice. Yes I am that bored with this match. Roode accidentally tags Brooks into the match and Sharmell comes in for the Cat Fight. T is just lollygagging outside the ring, not paying attention to his wife getting her ass kicked and Roode takes him out. Back in the ring Sharmell kicks Brooks into Roode and then gets a schoolgirl rollup for the win at 10:48. Everything about that was mediocre.
Rating: **

Roode gets in Brooks’ face about the loss, and when Sharmell runs down to the ring to try and stop him, he accidentally drills her with an elbow to the face. This was actually before Chris Jericho did the same thing to Shawn Michaels, so kudos to you TNA.

MATCH #6: Ultimate X Match – The Motor City Machine Guns & Jay Lethal vs. Team 3D & Johnny Devine

Lethal is the current X Division Champion but Team 3D has possession of the belt. So this match is for possession of the belt, but the Title itself is not on the line, if that makes sense. The Guns and Lethal run down the ramp and take the fight right to their rivals. They pair off just as you would expect, with Lethal battling Devine so the two tag teams can fight. The Guns are coming into this match with injured hands, so their ability to climb has been compromised. Devine goes up for the belt and the Guns almost kill him by swinging him down to the mat and landing him right on his head and neck. Good job guys. Team 3D takes the Guns out and try to devise a way to get the belt without climbing. That of course goes nowhere. Ray tries to climb but he doesn’t get too far. Devine and Lethal square off and Devine wins that battle and goes for the belt but Shelley pulls him down. Sabin comes back in with a tornado DDT and the Guns have cleared the ring. Team 3D comes back with a couple of kendo stick shots. They bring in a ladder to try and retrieve the title that way. Devine tries to climb the ladder but Sabin pushes the ladder over and he crashes to the floor. Team 3D hits Sabin with the 3D and then throws the ladder at Lethal. Devon uses the ladder and retrieves the belt, and they pull the leader away so it looks like Devon climbed there. Referee Rudy Charles calls for the bell at 12:02. I don’t see what the big deal is – there is no real rule that says you CAN’T use a ladder. The match was fun enough but fairly forgettable.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #7: TNA World Tag Team Championship – AJ Styles & Tomko vs. Samoa Joe & Kevin Nash

Styles and Tomko have been the champions since 10.14.07, and this is their third defense. The two that have had classic matches against each other start it off. Can you guess which two that is? When Nash tags in Styles goes after his legs and tags Tomko. Nash fights back but Tomko cuts him off and continues to work the big man’s weakness. Finally Nash comes back with the side slam and tags are made. After a brief flurry from Joe, Styles cuts him off and now the champs go to work on him. Styles goes for a rana and Joe catches him with a powerbomb, or as Tenay calls it, “a slam-like powerbomb.” Sigh. Joe goes for the tag but Nash drops off the ring apron, leaving Joe to fend for himself. An angry Samoan Submission Machine goes to work on both champions, and does quite well for himself. Joe hits the Muscle Buster on Styles but Tomko breaks it up. Styles recovers and hits Joe with the Pele. Tomko follows with a boot and then the champs hit Au Revoir to get the win at 12:11. Joe had awesome fire at the end there, but most of the match leading up to that was meh.
Rating: **½

MATCH #8: TNA World Heavyweight Championship – Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage

Angle has been the champion since 10.25.07, and this is his third defense. They show off some great wrestling action in the early going, as they appear pretty evenly matched. The pace continues to be brisk, and Cage hits a Flapjack and goads Angle into missing a charge in the corner. Cage keeps it up and Angle takes a powder. He then jumps right into Angle’s arms and gets suplexed over the ropes to the floor. Angle takes control now, keeping the challenger on the mat. He hits a Moonsault but Cage kicks out at two. Cage goes up for the Frog Splash but misses and Angle rolls him up for two. Angle goes to the Ankle Lock and hangs on tenaciously. When Cage escapes Angle catches him with a belly-to-belly suplex off the top rope for a two-count. Cage fights back and locks on the Texas Cloverleaf but Angle reverses to the Ankle Lock. They continue trading finishers, since that’s what Kurt Angle matches are. Cage hits the Unprettier and Angle kicks out at two. Karen Angle gets up on the apron to distract the referee while Cage locks Angle in the Ankle Lock. AJ Styles comes down to get rid of Karen and hug Christian, indicating that he’s chosen Cage’s side in the war against Angle. Of course that means that Styles immediately turns on Cage and hits a springboard flying forearm to the back of the head. Angle follows up with the Angle Slam to retain the title at 18:39. It was good, but I thought it would be better. Also, the finish could be seen coming from a mile away.
Rating: ***

BONUS MATCH: TNA Women’s Championship – Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong, Impact, 1.10.08

Kim has been the champion since 10.14.07, and this is her fourth defense. This is the debut of Raisha Saeed. Also, this is the first time the Knockouts have been in the main event of Impact. Kong attacks right away and here we go. She hits an early spinning back fist to knock Kim to the floor. The challenger is dominant, throwing Kim all over the arena. Kong sets Kim up by part of the set and charges but misses and crashes right through the wall. We cut to commercial and come back with the competitors making their way back to the ring. Kong sets Kim up on the ropes but Kim fights back and hits a tornado DDT for a two-count. Kim goes up and hits a big senton off the top rope but that also only gets two. She gets distracted by Saeed and then goes back up top again but this time jumps right into a Chokeslam for a near-fall. The champion fights back but Kong kicks her in the gut and hits the Implant Buster but once again Kim kicks out! Kim gets another flurry of offense and tries a rana off the second rope but Kong catches her with a powerbomb. Kong adds another powerbomb, and then the Awesome Bomb to get the pin and win the title at 5:44 (shown). While not quite as good as their pay-per-view match, this was really good TV stuff and a worthy Impact main event.
Rating: ***

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