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Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – May 15, 2011
MATCH #1: Mexican America vs. Ink Inc.
Hernandez and Anarquia are accompanied by the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Rosita. Shannon Moore and Anarquia start the match. They go back and forth a bit and Moore starts working the arm. Anarquia fights back and does the same. Moore uses his high flying skills to fight back, but Rosita distracts the referee and Hernandez takes a cheap shot. Hernandez tags in officially and immediately starts selling for Moore. That’s ridiculous. Jesse Neal tags in and gets a little bit of offense, including a belly-to-belly suplex. Sarita distracts the ref and Anarquia takes a cheap shot. Momentum continues to shift back and forth as no team has gotten a sustained heat segment yet. The fight pills to the floor and Moore hits Hernandez with an Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring Sarita interferes again to give her guys the advantage. Mexican America isolates Moore in their half of the ring. Moore fights back with a moonsault off the top rope and an enziguiri before making the hot tag. Neal is all over both opponents. The referee loses control and Moore knocks Anarquia to the floor and then hangs out on the apron. Ink Inc. goes for a double-team maneuver but Rosita gets in the ring to stop them. Anarquia pulls Moore to the floor and Hernandez hits Neal with the Dominator to get the pin at 9:37. All things considered that was pretty solid for an opener.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #2: Brian Kendrick vs. Robbie E
E is accompanied by Cookie. (38:24)Kendrick strikes first, hitting a dropkick to send E to the floor. He follows with a suicide dive. Back in the ring Kendrick hits a high cross body block off the top rope. Kendrick uses the powers of mediation to keep E off balance. Out on the floor Cookie tries to comfort her man but Kendrick won’t allow it. Back in the ring again Kendrick goes up top but this time E knocks him back to the floor. E goes on offense now, to the delight of absolutely no one. He clotheslines Kendrick back to the floor. Kendrick is able to hit a superkick out on the floor and lands a missile dropkick back in the ring. Finally Kendrick takes his ring robe off and throws it over E’s head to land some punches. E responds with Snake Eyes. He calls for the end but Kendrick avoids the neckbreaker and hits a dropkick, just like the first move he hit in the match, to get the win at 6:43. That was like an Impact match but twice as long.
Rating: *¾
MATCH #3: TNA Knockouts Championship Match – Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne
James has been the Champion since 4.17.11, and this is her second defense. If James wins the match, Tara’s contract with Rayne will be henceforth null and void. Tara comes out right after the bell rings, despite Rayne’s prior instructions. The distraction allows James to strike first, but Rayne counters by throwing James into the steel rings steps. Back in the ring Rayne gets a two-count. Rayne continues to control the action and yell at Tara, who does a horrible job looking conflicted. James comes back with a neckbreaker and both Knockouts are down. Back on their feet James gets a couple of quick pining combinations for two-counts and the referee accidentally gets bumped. Rayne puts on her loaded glove but Tara pulls it off her. James unleashes a flurry of offense and the crowd finally wakes up. She goes for the Super Thesz Press but Rayne ducks and the referee takes it instead. Tara gets in the ring with the loaded glove and of course drills Rayne with it. James gets the pin at 6:49. You’d think this would lead to a big feud between Tara and Madison Rayne, but you’d be wrong. The action in the match was dull and the acting from all involved was brutal.
Rating: *¼
MATCH #4: TNA X Division Championship Match – Kazarian vs. Max Buck
Kazarian has been the Champion since 1.9.11, and this is his fifth defense. He makes some awful jokes in his pre-match promo. They start with some fast-paced back and forth in the opening moments. Kazarian uses a front facelock to try to keep Max on the mat. Max knocks Kazarian to the floor and takes him out with a dropkick to the face. Back in the ring Max continues to wear Kazarian down. Kazarian fights back with a gutwrench suplex from the middle rope. Both men are down and when they rise Kazarian is on fire. Kazarian hits the springboard legdrop for a two-count. A neckbreaker gets another near-fall. Max fights back with a Buckle Bomb and Diamond Dust for two. He follows up with an elevated DDT and a 450 Splash but Kazarian kicks out of that. Of course he does. Kazarian blocks a suplex and drops Max across the top rope. He punts Max in the face and then hits a ridiculous Sunset Bomb to the floor. Back in the ring Kazarian hits a Shining Wizard for the pin at 11:20. The crowd popped a couple of times but mostly this was just an exhibition of moves with a weak finish. I mean a Shining Wizard, is it 2002?
Rating: **½
MATCH #5: Abyss vs. Crimson
Abyss claiming to be 6’8″ while standing next to Jeremy Borash would seem to make Borash about 6’5″. I love wrestling. (31:04)They start brawling right off the bat and Abyss takes first control. Crimson fires back by clotheslining Abyss to the floor. The fight continues out on the floor and Abyss whips Crimson into the ring post. Back in the ring Abyss squashes Crimson in the corner. Abyss tries to keep Crimson on the mat but Crimson powers up and they clothesline each other. Both men are down. Back on their feet Crimson lands a clothesline and an avalanche in the corner. Crimson hits a neckbreaker for two. Abyss avoids a charge in the corner and hits a Chokeslam for a two-count. He goes to the floor and finds Janice under the ring. Crimson ducks a swinging Abyss and hits the Spear for two. The referee gets rid of Janice and Crimson runs into a big boot to the face. Abyss tries Shock Treatment but Crimson avoids it and hits a double underhook DDT for two. Or as Tenay called it: “Plants him, DDT style.” I hate him. Abyss slides to the floor and looks for Janice. He barely snaps Crimson’s neck off the top rope. Back in the ring Abyss hits a Vader Bomb for two. Abyss goes for a charge but Crimson moves out of the way and then hits a Sky-Hi Powerbomb for the win at 10:40. That was a decent power match, but there isn’t a lot about Crimson that I find engaging.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #6: TNA World Tag Team Championship Match – Beer Money vs. Matt Hardy & Chris Harris
James Storm and Robert Roode have been the Champions since 1.9.11, and this is their fifth defense. Harris is wearing old AMW gear and is in terrible shape. He starts the match with Storm but tags out before any contact is made. Momentum shifts frequently in the early going. Harris does his best to avoid fighting his former AMW tag team partner. Eventually Harris gets the beer bottle and spits beer into Storm’s eyes. That’s enough to give the challengers control of the match. It doesn’t last too long before tags are made and Roode is all over Harris. Roode hits a Blockbuster and then celebrates. Hardy enters the ring illegally and Roode clotheslines him right out. Roode hits the Payoff for a two-count. Storm tries to tag in but Hardy pulls him off the apron. Harris grabs Roode and hits an Uncle Slam for two. Now Hardy and Harris work together to keep Roode isolated from the Tennessee Cowboy. Harris spits at Storm and seconds later Roode makes the tag. Finally Storm is able to unload on his former partner. Storm hits the Orton DDT for a two-count when Hardy breaks it up. Roode tosses Hardy to the floor and joins him to continue the beating. Meanwhile Storm hits the Eight Second Ride but only gets two. The referee loses control. Hardy hits Roode with the Side Effect. He goes for the Twist of Hate on Storm but it gets countered to a Lungblower. Harris goes for the Catatonic but Storm counters and tries the Last Call, and Harris counters that with a spinebuster. Tenay keeps calling moves like the Catatonic signature moves of AMW, but they’re really just moves that Chris Harris does. Roode then hits Harris with a spinebuster. Beer Money hits Hardy with a double suplex. BEER! MONEY! Harris then runs right into the Last Call and the champs finish him with the Death Sentence at 13:49. That was good formula stuff most of the way through and I really like the finish.
Rating: ***
MATCH #7: No Disqualification Match – AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer
They start off with some non-descript back and forth action. Styles charges into the corner and eats a big boot. Dreamer goes to work now, keeping Styles on the mat. Styles fights back and hits The Dropkick, sending Dreamer to the floor. He follows Dreamer out with a house show dive, much to the delight of the crowd. Dreamer comes back and rams Styles’ head into the steps, but the Phenomenal One recovers quickly and crotches Dreamer on the guardrail. For whatever reason, Dreamer loves doing that spot. Styles flies off the barricade with a flying forearm. They take the fight into the crowd. Dreamer throws Styles into a wall and then hurls him back to ringside. He tries to bring a garbage can into the ring but gets it kicked right back in his face. Styles brings in a table and hits Dreamer with it for a two-count. He slams Dreamer’s face off the edge of the table for another near-fall. Dreamer grabs a DDT from out of nowhere but Styles is in the ropes so there will be no three-count yet. Now Dreamer grabs a fork, which calls back to one of their earlier matches. Luckily for Styles he’s able to block if and unload with offense, including an enziguiri. Styles cracks Dreamer in the head with a trash can. He sets up the table again and then hits the Pele. Styles goes for the Styles Clash so Bully Ray comes out and decks him with a chain. Chris Daniels chases Ray off. Dreamer then hits a Piledriver onto the table for the win at 13:03. That wasn’t too exciting and I fail to see what good it does to put Dreamer over anyone at this point.
Rating: **
MATCH #8: Kurt Angle & Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett
The men start it off with some mat wrestling. Jarrett takes a cheap shot but Angle brushes it off and continues to throw Jarrett around. Chyna tags in and Jarrett takes a powder. In a very stupid move, Jarrett just sneaks back in the ring and beats up Angle to force Chyna out of the ring. No, Jarrett should have had to tag Karen into the match. I hate this referee. Angle puts Jarrett in the Ankle Lock and Karen distracts him, allowing her new husband to take control. Jarrett hits a dropkick and some of his other usual offense. Angle fights back with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. He follows up with three rolling German Suplexes. Jarrett counters the Angle Slam with an armdrag and then hits an enziguiri. After a series of reversals Angle hits the Angle Slam for a two-count. Angle goes for another German Suplex but Jarrett hits a low blow. Jarrett doesn’t pay attention and Angle finally makes the tag. Chyna can barely execute a bodyslam and a vertical suplex but the crowd still goes nuts for her for some reason. She goes after Karen and chases her into the ring. Angle distracts Karen long enough for Chyna to hit a Stinger Splash and the Pedigree. Chyna then locks on the Ankle Lock and Karen taps out at 10:15. TNA would literally book anyone who has ever appeared in WWE I guess. The crowd helped the match from becoming a complete disaster, but Chyna was quite rusty.
Rating: **
MATCH #9: TNA World Championship Match – Sting vs. Rob Van Dam
Sting has been the Champion since 3.3.11, and this is his fifth defense. Mr. Anderson gets his own entrance for coming out to do commentary. Sting and RVD start slowly and show how much they respect the other. Both men are evenly matches in the opening minutes and are able to counter each other. RVD slips to the floor to catch a breather. Back in the ring RVD gets a couple of quick pinning combinations for two and then a spinning superkick right to the face. RVD keeps Sting on the mat now and wears him down. He misses a spinning kick in the corner and tumbles hard to the floor. Sting goes out and tries a Stinger Splash but Misses and crashes into the guardrail. RVD tries to capitalize with a legdrop but Sting moves and RVD crashes onto the guardrail this time. They continue to fight through the crowd and trade shots back and forth. RVD superkicks Sting down the stairs, and then he wipes him out with a cross body block. Back to the ring RVD hits the one-legged dropkick off the top rope for a two-count. RVD tries the Rolling Thunder but Sting gets his knees up. Sting is all fired up now, unloading with his weird punches. He tries the Stinger Splash but RVD blocks it with a spin kick. RVD goes up top but misses the Five-Star Frog Splash and Sting rolls him up for a two-count. Sting then hits two Scorpion Death Drops to win the match at 12:42. That was fine and all but RVD never felt like a threat to the title and the crowd treated the match as such.
Rating: **¾
