TNA: The Best of Samoa Joe - Unstoppable DVD Review
When I first saw Samoa Joe compete, I instantly became a fan. His style is unlike no other. He can compete with cruserweights and heavyweights. He can compete in high flying matches and he can grapple with the best of them. Joe is a hybrid of technical, submission, and MMA.
This DVD showcases Joe at his best in his early days in TNA. It features matches during 2005-2006 when he was undefeated for 18 months. It features numerous bouts against the likes of AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Amazing Red, Jushin Liger, and many others.
Samoa Joe vs. Sonjay Dutt - Slammiversary 2005
This was Samoa Joe's debut match in TNA. They noted Joe's dominate reign as ROH World Champion as well as his vast offense of submissions. While this was a rather quick match and basically a squash, it was fun to watch. Joe got to showcase what makes him so great.
Match rating - 6/10
Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin
This is the good stuff right here. The first two matches on here were pretty one sided, but Sabin mounted some offense and gave Joe a good fight. It was an outstanding back and forth contest with some awesome spots. Sabin and Joe are two of the best of this generation and they reminded everyone of that in this match.
Match rating - 9/10
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles - Sacrifice 2005
Here we find Joe facing AJ Styles to determine the number one contender to Christopher Daniels' X Division Championship. Joe and Styles threw every thing they had at each other in a classic match up. These guys tore down the house in a hard hitting bout. Daniels was on commentary and ended up interfering in the match, which sets up the next match on this set.
Match rating - 9.5/10
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels - X Divison Championship Match - Unbreakable 2005
Where do I start with this match? If you don't already know, this is the legendary three way that put TNA and the X Division on the map. It has won numerous awards including being the first match in the United States in near 10 years to be rated at 5 Stars by Dave Meltzer. These guys performed on a whole new level. They were in the main event slot of this PPV and proved they deserved to be there and then some. The combination moves and counters in this match were incredible. It was 30 minutes of amazing action between three outstanding athletes.
Match rating - 10/10
Samoa Joe vs. Jushin Liger - Bound For Glory 2005
These guys opened the show and did so in excellent fashion. It was Liger's debut match in TNA and the crowd met him with a standing ovation. This wasn't a showstealer, but it was certainly a good match. It did its job as the opening match by getting the show off to an awesome start.
Match rating - 8/10
Samoa Joe, Roderick Strong, Alex Shelley, & Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries, Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, and Matt Bentley - Elimination X Match - Genesis 2005
Multi-man elimination matches like this are normally either really good or really bad. This was indeed REALLY good. I'm not gonna even try to name all of the amazing moves these guys pulled off because there's no way I'd ever be able to. You just need to see it for yourself. Plus the beatdown Joe gives Daniels afterwards is brutal and solidifes Joe as a beast.
Match rating - 9/10
Samoa Joe vs. Amazing Red - Impact
Just like the other TV matches on this set, it was basically a squash match with Red barely getting any offense in.
Match rating - 5/10
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles - Turning Point 2005
This was the match in which Joe finally won the X Division Championship. Just as they did at Genesis, Joe and AJ tore the house down. However, it was a much more physical bout then their previous encounter. Both Joe and AJ were bleeding from the mouth in this one, most noticeably, AJ. It was a physical, hard hitting encounter. Great match.
Match rating - 9/10
Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels - Final Resolution 2006
Joe and Daniels went after each other in this outstanding contest. As expected, they put on a really good match with alot of awesome spots. Daniels hit an amazing slingshot elbow drop over the top rope to the floor onto Joe. It was probably the stiffest elbow drop I've ever seen. Joe came back with an ole kick into the railing which busted Daniels open. Joe targeted the previously concussed head of Daniels and delivered a series of brutal kicks. AJ Styles came to the ring and threw in the towel for Daniels safety.
Match rating - 8.5/10
Overall thoughts: This DVD is worth buying for the matches with Styles and Daniels alone. The three way at Unbreakable and the singles matches. Joe's match with Sabin is awesome as well. The matches from Impact are nothing, but squash matches. I only reviewed one of them on here (vs. Red). Apart from that, this is an outstanding DVD. Possibly my favorite one that TNA has ever released. I recommend.
Overall rating - 9/10
TNA: Destination X 2008 DVD Review
by Ethan Lewis
1) Homicide & Hernandez vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. Rock N Rave Infection
What a great way to start the show! Fast paced action that never stopped. Each competitor got their chance to shine. The Machine Guns & LAX were the most impressive in this match while Rave & Hoyt did deliver as well. This match was what a perfect opener should be - filled with fast paced action to get the crowd pumped up.
Match rating - 8/10
2) Jay Lethal vs. Petey Williams - X Division Championship Match
Lethal and Williams are both outstanding wrestlers, so I expected a great match up. That's exactly what they gave us. X Division matches rarely dissappoint and this was no exception. Lethal and Williams went back and forth in a match with tons of innovative moves. Williams' Canadian Destroyer is one of the craziest moves I've ever seen. Awesome match!
Match rating - 8/10
3) Black Reign & Rellik vs. Kaz & Eric Young
Going into this I wasn't expecting much, but I was definitely wrong. This was a solid tag team match with lots of action. Kazarian was the work horse of this match as he pulled off tons of combination moves throughout. The story going into this was Eric Young being afraid of monsters so Kaz told him to get over it or find an alter ego. Well, he didn't get over it as Reign (Dustin Rhodes/Goldust) chased him to the back during the match, but he did find an alter ego. On this night, we saw the debut of Young's new gimmick, Super Eric. He ran down to the ring and helped Kaz clean house for the win. Solid match.
Match rating - 7/10
After this match, we see a hilarious backstage segment. Jim Cornette is in his office being aggravated by Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, & Tomko. Angle wants Cornette to over turn the decision made on Impact. Cornetter gets mad and storms out of the office, but Angle's crew follows him yelling. Cornette turns the corner only to run into Bully Ray & Devon. Bully starts yelling like only he can do and it was hilarious. Normally these type segments suck, but I found this one quite funny.
4) Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim vs. ODB - Knockouts Championship Match
Once again, I wasn't expecting much out of this match and they proved me wrong. Really good Knockout's match here. I often forget how consisent TNA's women's division has been over the years. This match reminded me of that. All three of these women are tremendous competitors.
Match rating - 7/10
5) Team 3D (Brother/Bully Ray & Devon) vs. Shark Boy & Curry Man - Fish Market Street Fight
Purely just a fun match here. It's very enjoyable and funny. There's good action and weapons used, but there is also alot of comedy including Curry Man dancing on the announce table along with Don West, Bully Ray french kissing a fish, Shark Boy putting a twinkie on a fishing rod and catching Ray with it, and Bully Ray throwing fish at Mike Tenay. The action includes Team 3D's Johnny Devine getting thrown through a table, Curry Man being back dropped through the table holding the fish, and much more. Fun, enjoyable, action filled match.
Match rating - 7.5/10
6) Booker T vs. Bobby Roode - Strap Match
There's not normally anything special about Strap Matches as the wrestler's are limited to what they can do. This was no different. It was more about furthering storylines and it did just that.
Match rating - 5/10
7) Rhino vs. James Storm - Elevation X Match
I'm not a fan of Elevation X matches. To win, you have to make your opponent fall off the top of the X. That right there tells you this match wouldn't be good as the competitors are very limited as to what they can do. Rhino and Storm did the best they could under the circumstances, but this gimmick match needs to be done away with.
Match rating - 5/10
8) Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Tomko vs. Samoa Joe, Christian Cage, & Kevin Nash
This was your basic six man tag match. Everyone got their moment and it was entertaining to watch. I just didn't view this as a great choice to main event a PPV. None the less, it was a fun little match. Intense and action packed.
Match rating - 7/10
Overall thoughts: I honestly enjoyed this way more than I thought I would going into it. The undercard is solid. There's honestly not a match on there that I didn't enjoy. From the fast paced tag opener to the Knockouts match to the Street Fight, they were all enjoyable contests. The main events however fell short. The only match that delivered was the main event itself (the six man tag). Elevation X and the Strap match were bland and boring for the most part. So, if any of the undercard matches or the main event interest you, then I recommend this to you. I thouroughly enjoyed it, although there were a few duds on the card.
TNA Turning Point/Final Resolution 2010 Twin Pack DVD Review
This is the second volume of TNA's twin pack PPV releases. It features Turning Point and Final Resolution 2010. I will review each PPV separately then give my thoughts on the set as a whole.
Turning Point 2010
1) Jay Lethal vs. Robbie E - X Division Championship Match
This was a decent way to open the show. The best part about this match was seeing Lethal do his thing, as he is a fantastic competitor. Other than that this match was pretty bland. Cookie interfered and helped Robbie E win and become X Division champ. Worth a watch to see Lethal do some cool stuff, other than that its nothing special.
Match rating - 6/10
2) Tara vs. Mickie James - TNA Knockouts Championship Match
I'm a fan of both women so I was looking forward to this match. It was a solid women's match. Both knockouts fought hard and it was a physical bout that ended in a double countout as they fought through the crowd. After the match was just as good as the match itself. They fought through the crowd then back near the stage, hitting each other with trash cans and broomsticks. They then got back in the ring and had to separate multiple times by security. Good match and great stuff afterwards that would set up another match between the two at Final Resolution.
Match rating - 7/10
3) Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin/Alex Shelley) vs. Team 3D - Tag Title Match & Team 3D's Retirement Match
This bout pitted the greatest tag team of all time against the greatest tag team of today. It was also billed as Team 3D's retirement match. It was the first standout match of the evening. It featured alot of great tag team action and was very fast paced for the most part. Bully Ray ends up getting busted open after being pushed into the steel post and a table is even brought into play. Great match.
Match rating - 8/10
4) Rob Van Dam vs. Tommy Dreamer
Although it's not billed as No DQ or whatever, this is an anything goes "old school" match as the commentators called it. It was a little slow to start with and started to pick up a bit, but then Tommy hit a frog splash and seemingly broke his wrist. This wasn't fake as when Tommy took his glove off you could see the bone poking up under the skin. It was nasty. Dreamer being the tough guy he is, continued the match. It was good especially under the circumstances that Dreamer had a broken wrist. After the match, Dreamer and RVD patch things up and become friends again.
Match rating - 7/10
5) EV2 (Sabu, Raven, Stevie Richards, Rhino & Brian Kendrick) vs. Fortune (AJ Styles, Douglas Williams, Bobby Roode, James Storm & Kazarian)
The stipulation in this match was that if EV2 loses, a member of their team is fired. It broke down into an all out brawl in the beginning, but soon settled down into a normal tag match. Kendrick got hurt or something early on and was taken out of the match, which left EV2 with only 4 members against all 5 members of Fortune. There was some good exchanges in this one, my favorite was seeing AJ Styles and Sabu go at it. Rhino also hit a big gore on Kazarian, I think it was, that sent him flying. Some good action in this one.
Match rating - 7.5/10
6) Abyss vs. "The Pope" D' Angelo Dinero - Lumberjack Match
The Lumberjacks were Pope's 'congregation'. This was nothing more than an average match. There was a shocking twist at the end involving Eric Bischoff and Pope's brother. Nothing special here though.
Match rating - 6.5/10
7) Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Jarrett
Next to the MCMG-Team 3D match, this is my second favorite match of the night. It didn't last incredibly long, maybe 10-15 minutes, but it was very good for what it was. Pretty fast paced action throughout the match. The only downfall in this one was the interference from Gunner and Murphy. The good thing about it though is that it sets up another match between these two.
Match rating - 7.5/10
8) Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Morgan - TNA World Heavyweight Title Match
This was the main event of the show, but it wasn't that great. It's not that it was bad, but it was nothing more than an average match. One interesting note is the referee, "Jackson James", is actually Garrett Bischoff ha. He totally made a bad count near the end after Morgan hit his finisher on Hardy. Hardy moved his leg up, but not his shoulder and the ref said it was only a two count. Terrible call. Average match.
Match rating - 7/10
Final Resolution 2010
1) Beer Money (James Storm & Bobby Roode) vs. Ink Inc (Shannon Moore & Jesse Neal)
Good way to start the show with this solid tag team bout. Ink Inc took control early over Beer Money and dominated a good portion of the match. Beer Money fought back though and this turned out to be a great back and forth tag match. Moore & Neal really impressed me with some of their highflying moves, but Roode & Storm did the same with their exceptional team work. Good match.
Match rating - 7.5/10
2) Tara vs. Mickie James - Falls Count Anywhere Match
Wow, what a match these two put on. The stipulation stemmed from the outcome of their previous match at Turning Point which ended in a double countout. Their last match was good, but this was even better. We saw these two women do alot of stuff we don't normally see from the Knockouts. From dropkicks off the top rope, to a back body drop on the cement floor, it was a wild match that raged from ringside to outside the arena. This battle even raged into the men's bathroom. It was crazy. Great match.
Match rating - 8/10
3) Jay Lethal vs. Robbie E - X Division Championship Match
While this was better than their first encounter it still wasn't anything special. I did enjoy this one quite better than their previous match at Turning Point though so that has to count for something. It was probably better because Cookie was suspended in a shark cage above the ring so she couldn't interfere. During this match we saw Shark Boy come down and put in her in the cage and afterwards he gave her the stunner. Funny stuff.
Match rating - 7/10
4) Rob Van Dam vs. Rhino - First Blood Match
First Blood matches usually aren't all that great, but this one was actually pretty good. They hit some innovative moves and did some good wrestling. RVD even hit a coast to coast on Rhino with a chair in front of his face. Pretty good match.
Match rating - 7.5/10
5) AJ Styles vs. Douglas Williams - TNA TV Title Match
Without a doubt this was one of the best matches of the night. It was a pure wrestling showcase. These two guys put on an outstanding contest that was very physical. Williams even delivered his finisher, Rolling Chaos, on the floor! Awesome match.
Match rating - 8.5/10
6) Generation Me (The Young Bucks) vs. MotorCity Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) - Full Metal Mayhem Match
After the great Williams/Styles match, I wondered if any other match on the card could follow it up. But these guys did it. Ladders, tables, and chairs were involved throughout and they put on a show. These are the two best tag teams in all of wrestling in the past several years in my opinion and seeing them battle it out was phenomenal.
Match rating - 9/10
7) Abyss vs. D'Angelo Dinero - Casket Match
Just like the Lethal/Robbie match, this was better than these guys previous encouter, but it still wasn't anything special. Didn't deserve to be this high on the card in my opinion. It was a solid match though, none the less, and an improvement from their match at Turning Point.
Match rating - 7/10
8) Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Jarrett - Submission Match
As soon as I saw Joe get attacked by Gunner and Murphy before the match, I lost all hope I had for this being a good contest. I was excited for this one because of how good their match at Turning Point was, but when I saw that, it killed it for me. Joe came out limping, but still managed to put on a good match with Jarrett. They could have went without the interference though and it would have been much better.
Match rating - 7.5/10
9) Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Morgan - Special Ref: Mr. Anderson - No DQ match for the TNA World Title
This match was a vast improvement from their bout at Turning Point. Although it was an improvement, it still wasn't outstanding by any means. Just didn't feel like a main event. Anderson being involved helped it a bit and the fact that these two faced each other previously probably helped them put on a better match as well. These guys just don't seem to have good chemistry together. Solid match, worth a viewing, but I doubt it's something you'd watch more than once.
Match rating - 7.5/10
Overall thoughts: When you average all the scores up from these matches it comes out to be 7/10. This set is decent, you get a few really good matches. I'll list them below.
Best Matches in this set:
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Team 3D
Tara vs. Mickie James - Falls Count Anywhere Match
AJ Styles vs. Douglas Williams - TV Title Match
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Generation Me (Young Bucks) - Full Metal Mayhem Match
If any of the matches listed above interest you, then I'd recommend picking this up. Those are the only matches that really stood out. Individually, Final Resolution was the better PPV. As you can see, three of the four outstanding matches listed above are from Final Resolution. Turning Point was more about advancing storylines. In conclusion, it's a decent set worth picking up if you the matches listed above interest you.
TNA Bound for Glory 2011 DVD Review
1) Austin Aries vs. Brian Kendrick - X Division Championship Match
Amazing way to start the show. These guys got the crowd fired up by delivering an outstanding opening contest. It's everything you'd expect out of an X Division match. Kendrick and Aries delivered a fast paced match and set the standard high for the rest of the show. Outstanding match.
Match rating - 8.5/10
2) Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - Full Metal Mayhem Match
What better way to follow up an amazing match between Kendrick and Aries than with a Lynn/RVD match up? Good decision putting these guys on next. Lynn and RVD were hitting on all cylinders during this match, delivering a bout reminiscent of their battles in ECW. This is a very enjoyable match. Some unbelievable spots including Lynn doing a sunset flip on RVD onto a ladder leaned up against the railing!
Match rating - 8.5/10
3) Samoa Joe vs. Matt Morgan vs. Crimson
Solid triple threat match between these guys. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, but all three men delivered. Joe did a huge dive to the outside on Crimson, which was followed up by Matt Morgan jumping off the top turnbuckle to the outside on him. Crazy seeing a guy as big as Joe dive out of the ring, much less a 7 footer like Matt Morgan! Good match.
Match rating - 7.5/10
4) Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray - Falls Count Anywhere Match
The hits just keep on coming. This was an awesome match that reminded me so much of an ECW match. Anderson and Bully used everything from fan signs (that turned out to be a street sign) to tables to chairs. They even ripped a section of the guard rail up and brought into the ring. Brutal match that ended with two sick table spots.
Match rating - 9/10
At this point in the show, cameras show Eric Bischoff talking to referee Jackson James, and he is revealed to be Eric's son Garrett. They basically agree to screw Sting over tonight. It came as a shock to everyone, although I knew it was Garrett from the start, as I am watching this two years after it originally aired. Good way of revealing him though.
5) Velvet Sky vs. Winter vs. Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne - Knockouts Title Match
The special referee for this match was Karen Jarrett. This match was the weakest on the show. It was mainly because of the unfairness of Karen, constantly not counting and interfering. The wrestling was good but the interference and what not ruined this match.
Match rating - 6/10
6) AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels - I Quit Match
This wasn't the typical brutal "I Quit" match, but that doesn't mean it wasn't great, because it was. The only weapons used were a chair and a screw driver, but as always, Daniels and Styles put on a tremendous match that made up for the lack of weapons used.
Match rating - 8/10
6) Hulk Hogan vs. Sting for Control of TNA
This wasn't a great wrestling match per say, but it had that big time feel to it. The crowd was absolutely on fire. I wasn't a big fan of the whole Immortal storyline, I actually didn't watch much during this period which is what inspiried me to pick this up. I must say, this was a nice ending to the storyline. There's a big twist at the end, I won't reveal it and spoil it for those who haven't seen it. This segment/match was good overall. The energy, big time feel, and twist at the end made this worthy of the rating I'm giving it.
Match rating - 9/10
7) Bobby Roode vs. Kurt Angle - TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
These guys have great chemistry together. I really enjoyed this match even though it didn't end how I hoped. Lots of submission trading, counters, and near falls. It had me on the edge of my seat. Great match.
Match rating - 8.5/10
Overall thoughts: When you add all of the ratings up you get an 8/10. I think that is an accurate rating for this show. There wasn't a bad match on this, to be honest. Matches that stood out were Anderson/Bully, Aries/Kendrick, RVD/Lynn, and Roode/Angle. Hogan/Sting did as well because of the significance of it. I recommend.
TNA Turning Point 2012 DVD Review
1) Samoa Joe vs. Magnus - Television Title Match
Solid opening contest. I think their previous match at Bound For Glory was better, but this was still a good encounter that was fun to watch.
Match rating - 7/10
2) Tara & Jesse vs. ODB & Eric Young
This was a fun little match. Young did some cool moves and there were some good exchanges throughout. I don't think anyone was expecting a classic here as most mixed tag matches are nothing special.
Match rating - 6/10
3) Rob Van Dam vs. Joey Ryan - X Division Championship Match
Pretty good match here. It was on the same level as the Joe/Magnus match earlier in the show. Solid match, nothing more. Which isn't neccesarily a bad thing. Enjoyable bout.
Match rating - 7/10
4) DOC vs. Joseph Park
I'm not a fan of the Park gimmick so I didn't enjoy this one. I'm a fan of Doc (Luke Gallows in WWE), but you can't really do much with someone with a gimmick like Park has.
Match rating - 5/10
5) Chavo & Hernandez vs. Christopher Daniels & Kazarian - Tag Team Championship Match
Very good tag team match as expected. All four guys are seasoned performers and they put on a solid contest. The show finally started to pick up with this match.
Match rating - 7.5/10
6) James Storm vs. AJ Styles vs. Bobby Roode
And the show hit it off here. Storm, Styles, and Roode went at it for over 15 minutes in a hard hitting back and forth contest. Any match with AJ in it is bound to be great. Pair him with two exceptional performers like Storm and Roode and you get an oustanding match like this one. Best match of the night thus far.
Match rating - 8/10
7) Kurt Angle vs. Devon
Just as the show picked up some momentum, it slowed down again with this match. That's not normally said about a Kurt Angle match, but I just couldn't get heavily into this one. Although it did surprise me as it was better than I expected, but it still wasn't anything special. Nothing bad, but just an average match. Weird to place a match that is nothing but average in the co-main event slot of the PPV, but none the less it was decent.
Match rating - 6.5/10
8) Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries - Ladder Match for the TNA World Title
After putting on a classic at Bound For Glory a month earlier, Hardy and Aries entered the final chapter of their feud here in a Ladder Match. These guys left it all out there was some breathtaking spots and awesome moves. One spot that totally blew me away was both men falling off the ladder onto a ladder laid across the top turnbuckle, they then stood up on it and Hardy delivered a twist of fate on Aries on the ladder laying across on the top turnbuckle. Wow, that was dangerous. Aries played the perfect heel in this match, even making his way to the control both and causing the titles to be pulled up to the ceiling so Hardy couldn't reach them haha. Great stuff. Outstanding match and great way to close the show.
Match rating - 9/10
Overall thoughts: Well, there were only two standout matches here. Those being the Storm/Styles/Roode match and the Aries/Hardy match. Unfortunately, those can't pick up the slack for the rest of this PPV. Doc/Park was boring. Angle/Devon and Mixed Tag felt like TV Matches. The show felt like nothing more than an episode of Impact up until the Tag Team Title bout as things started to pick up there with the match that followed it, which was Styles/Storm/Roode. Then after the PPV got some good pacing, Angle/Devon didn't deliver a PPV quality match. If they had placed another solid match where Angle/Devon was, the final four matches could have made up for the slack in the rest of the show. This is worth getting to see Styles/Roode/Storm and Hardy/Aries. The main reason I got it was to see Hardy/Aries. So, if either of those matches highly interest you, I'd say get it to check those out, but try to find it at a low price because nothing else on here is worth paying money to see.
TNA: Bound For Glory 2012 DVD Review
by Ethan Lewis
1) Zema Ion (c) vs. Rob Van Dam - X Division Championship Match
Really good opening match here. Zema showed everyone he could hang with a veteran like Van Dam in this match. This was one of RVD's finer performances during his time in TNA.
Match rating - 7/10
2) Samoa Joe (c) vs. Magnus - TNA Television Championship Match
These two have great chemistry together. That probably is because they were a succesful tag team together. They know each other very well and it showed here. I really enjoyed this match. The show is going at a good pace as this match was just a notch better than the match before it.
Match rating - 7.5/10
3) James Storm vs. Bobby Roode - Street Fight
To keep the show on pace, they kick it up a notch with this brutal bout. Storm and Roode beat the living hell out of each other with everything from chairs to trashcans. They even used a table. Awesome street fight.
Match rating - 9/10
4) Joey Ryan vs. Al Snow
Good spot on the card for this match as it was kind of a cool down match from the street fight. It wasn't a bad match, but it was nothing more than average. Simple little match, some good action. Cool seeing Snow back in the ring and good way to cap off this storyline.
Match rating - 6/10
5) Christopher Daniels & Kazarian (c) vs. Kurt Angle & AJ Styles vs. Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez - Tag Team Championship Match
Awesome match here. Triple threat tag team matches are always interesting. The names involved gave me high expectations and they indeed lived up to them. Each man got a chance to showcase himself. Such as Hernandez diving out of the ring, Styles doing numerous breathtaking moves, Chavo jumping off the turnbuckle to the outside, Angle doing suplex after suplex, and much more.
Match rating - 8/10
6) Miss Tessmacher (c) vs. Tara - Knockouts Championship Match
Just as the Snow/Ryan match, I think this was placed as a cool down match after the action packed triple threat tag match. Although, this was a solid women's match. Tara is known as an outstanding wrestler, and Tessmacher isn't bad either. She actually impressed me in this match. Solid bout.
Match rating - 7/10
7) Sting & Bully Ray vs. Aces & Eights - No DQ Match
A nice smash mouth brawl with lots of action. These guys took good advantage of the No DQ stipulation as several weapons were used, but not an overload of them. There wasn't much interference, which is a good thing. The interference that did happen was well placed. Great match and the twist at the end is awesome as well.
Match rating - 8.5/10
8) Austin Aries (c) vs. Jeff Hardy - TNA World Championship Match
These guys main evented the show and they showed that they truly deserved to. Awesome match between these two. I'm a huge fan of Aries and he really brought out the best in Hardy in this match. The fans were heavily behind Aries even though he was the heel. Every time Jeff did a move the crowd would respond with boos. A spectacular back and forth contest.
Match rating - 9/10
Overall thoughts: This was a great PPV. It kept a good pace throughout the show and was well booked. There honestly wasn't any bad matches on here. I would definitely recommend checking out this show. The matches that are worth buying this for are Storm vs Roode, the Triple Threat Tag Match, Sting & Bully vs. Aces & Eights, and Aries vs. Hardy. All four of those earned ratings of 8 or higher on a scale of 1-10 and they truly delivered. The RVD/Ion and Magnus/Joe are good additions to this show as well, solid bouts. So if any of the four matches I listed above interest you, I'd definitely say check this out. Great show from top to bottom.
Overall rating - 8/10
TNA: Best of The Bloodiest Brawls: Scars and Stitches DVD Review
By Ethan Lewis
This is the 2nd volume of TNA's Best of Bloodiest Brawls. It features matches that weren't able to make it on the first volume as well as matches that happened after the release of the first one. This DVD features Abyss, James Storm, Chris Harris, AJ Styles, Sting, Rhino, Christian Cage, and many more.
1) Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett - Turning Point 2005
The DVD opened up with this match. It was a great battle between these two veterans. They battled into the crowd and near the backstage area where Jarrett hit Rhino with a chair knocking him off a scaffold through a table! Solid match and great way to start this DVD.
Match rating - 8.5/10
2) Lethal Lockdown Match: Sting, AJ Styles, Ron Killings, and Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, James Storm and Chris Harris - Lockdown 2006
Lethal Lockdown matches are similar to the War Games matches back in the day. It starts off with two guys from each team. They have to wrestle for five minutes, then members of each team enter at two minute intervals. After all 8 men are in the ring, the roof of the cage (which is filled with weapons) drops down. The match starts off with AJ Styles and Chris Harris. They go at it for five minutes and get busted open before the rest of the guys get in there. Once all the competitors are in there, all hell breaks loose because the roof drops and so do the weapons. Jarrett busts Steiner over the head with his guitar while AJ and James Storm climb up to the roof of the cage. AJ delivers one of the craziest moves I've ever seen as he sets up a ladder on top of the cage and jumps onto a lighting fixture hanging from the roof and drops down onto Storm who is on a table on the roof of the cage. Crazy match!
Match rating - 9/10
3) AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) - Six Sides of Steel Match - Bound For Glory 2006
These guys never fail to put on amazing matches. They put on one of the best Ultimate X matches I have ever seen a few weeks prior and they set out to top it with this match. In this bout, we see AJ get on top of the cage, which is really sketchy because there is no roof, and he was standing on the tiny edge of the wall of the cage, and he dives off of it onto Hernandez. Awesome! Then we see Hernandez, yes the 6'6 300lb Hernandez do the same thing, but he crashes and burns as AJ moves out of the way. Homicide brings a fork into the match and scrapes the head of Christopher Daniels with it, cutting him open. I'm giving these guys a 10/10 rating because I don't know what more these guys could have done. They put it all out there. You definitely will want to check this one out.
Match rating - 10/10
4) Rhino vs. Christian Cage - Barbed Wire Cage Match - iMPACT - November 2006
Christian can put on amazing matches when he wants to and this proves it. He gets busted open badly and bleeds profusely throughout the match. To win this, you had to either climb out of the top of the cage, which is wrapped with barbwire, or either walk out of the cage door. As mentioned before, this was a brutal and bloody match that I will definitely go back and watch again because it was awesome. Rhino hit the biggest gore I have ever seen, by goring (spearing) Christian THROUGH the cage door! Epic match, especially to be a television match. One of the bloodiest on this DVD.
Match rating - 9.5/10
5) Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe - Genesis 2006
This was the first ever match between these two and the crowd was on fire. From "Let's go Angle" chants to "Joe is gonna kill you" chants, the crowd added alot to this match. Some people were somewhat disappointed because this wasn't a technical wrestling clinic, but this was still an amazing match and from what I've heard Angle and Joe put on that type of a match the next month at Turning Point. Anyway, this was simply awesome. A great match that will leave you wanting more, which is why I will soon be getting Turning Point 2006 to see their next encounter.
Match rating - 9/10
6) Abyss vs. Sting - Last Rites Match - Destination X 2007
This was basically a casket match. It wasn't bad, but it was one of the weaker matches on this DVD. Some cool moments include Abyss chokeslamming Sting onto the casket and breaking the top of it in. Good match, but you probably won't watch it more than once or twice.
Match rating - 7/10
7) James Storm vs. Chris Harris - Texas Death Match - Sacrifice 2007
Although the set began to slow down with the previous Abyss/Sting match it certainly picked back up to speed here. Harris and Storm put on one of the most brutal and best hardcore style matches I've seen. They began the battle outside and fought through the crowd then headed back to the ring, but not before Harris dove over the railing into the crowd with a crossbody onto Storm. Several tables were involved and there was loads of blood as Storm got busted open terribly by being catapulted under a table. Outstanding match, one of the best on this DVD.
Match rating - 10/10
8) Abyss vs. Tomko - No Disqualification Match - Slammiversary 2007
I didn't expect this to be a good match. I figured it would be a bland match without any spots, but they actually shocked me! This was a really good match. Started off kind of slow, but soon picked up. Glass and thumbtacks were brought in early and both men were slammed into them. Then here come the spots, Tomko chases Abyss up the ramp with a barb wire bat then they climb up a scaffold type thing near the stage and Abyss throws Tomko off of it then dives off it himself, crashing onto Tomko. Solid match.
Match rating - 8/10
9) Abyss vs. Judas Mesias - Barbed Wire Massacre 2 - Against All Odds 2008
While this was quite bloody, it wasn't too great of a match. Certainly not as good as the first Barbed Wire Massacre. Suprisingly this was one of the weaker matches on the DVD. Just like the Sting/Abyss match, it's worth a watch, but I doubt you'll watch this bout more than once.
Match rating - 7.5/10
Overall thoughts: This is a solid compilation with several matches that are worth getting this to see if you haven't. Those matches being: Styles/Daniels-LAX, Angle/Joe, Rhino/Christian, Storm/Harris, and Lethal Lockdown. So that means there are 5 outstanding matches on this set, what about the other 4? Rhino/Jarrett and Abyss/Tomko are solid matches. Abyss/Sting is decent, but not great. Abyss/Mesias was disappointing. If any of the 5 matches I mentioned above interest you, then I'd definitely recommend. Solid set. I enjoyed watching it, I'd say it's worth a viewing.
Overall DVD rating: 8.5/10
Thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter @StylesClashx!
TNA Destination X 2012 Review
by Ethan Lewis
Just as 2011's Destination X, this was a solid pay-per-view. It featured an X Divison Title tournament which culminated in an Ultimate X match, Styles vs. Daniels in a Last Man Standing Match, Joe vs. Angle in a BFG Series Match, and the main event, Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
1)Mason Andrews vs. Rubik vs. Dakota Darsow vs. Lars Only
The whole first half of the pay-per-view is an X Division Tournament with the winners of each match earning a spot in the Ultimate X Match for the X Division Title later in the night. This was the first match of the night and the winner would earn a spot in the tournament. I had never seen any of these guys wrestle, but man they put on a show. Awesome fast paced X Division action. Each of these guys truly deserved a shot at the X Division Title. So much talent.
Match rating - 8/10
2)Mason Andrews vs. Kid Kash
As soon as Andrews won the previous match, Kid Kash ran down to the ring and the first match of the tournament began. Andrews still put on a great peformance even though he had already wrestled for 15 minutes in the previous bout. This was a great back and forth match. I really enjoyed it.
Match rating - 8/10
3)Kenny King vs. Douglas Williams
The next match in the tournament pits Kenny King against Douglas Williams. I'm a fan of both guys so I expected a great match, which is what we got. Another great match here.
Match rating - 8/10
4)Sonjay Dutt vs. Rashad Cameron
I've seen Dutt wrestle several times, but I had never seen Rashad Cameron wrestle before this match. I was impressed with Cameron, he hung right in there with Dutt and they put on a great match. It was a bit shorter than the previous three matches, but was good for what it was.
Match rating - 7.5/10
5)Zema Ion vs. Flip Cassanova
Before this match, Jesse Sorenson made his return after breaking his neck. It was a great moment. Now onto the match, it was pretty much a squash. It only went 3-4 minutes. Won't spoil who won, but this segment/match is worth watching just to see Sorenson's return promo.
Match rating - 5/10
6)Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle - Bound For Glory Series Match
Joe and Angle always put on great matches and this was no different. These two put on a solid fifteen minute match with alot of great action. This was actually my first time seeing these two face each other so I can't compare to their previous matches, but needless to say I was impressed. They have great chemistry.
Match rating - 8.5/10
7)Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles - Last Man Standing Match
These guys have a storied history. They've wrestled numerous times and have never put on a bad match against each other. This was no different. It was a solid contest with weapons such as chairs and tables used. My favorite spot was Styles hitting the Styles Clash on Daniels off the ramp through a table. It was awesome.
Match rating - 8/10
8)Mason Andrews vs. Kenny King vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Zema Ion - Ultimate X Match for X Division Title
All of these guys earned their place in this match earlier in the night and they definitely showed that they deserve it. Dutt seemingly got injured in the match and left, but soon come back in, only to be hurt again. If you watch the second disc of this DVD you will see what happened as Dutt explains that his shoulder popped out of place. Anyway, this was a really good match.
Match rating - 8/10
9)Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode - TNA World Title Match
This was the match I was most looking forward to as a long time fan of Aries. It was an awesome match. It lasted around 20 minutes or more, but it was so great that it went by really quick for me. Roode is one of the best today and his chemistry with Aries is undeniable. Amazing way to end the show.
Match rating - 9/10
DVD Bonus Features:
As you will find out, this comes as a 2 Disc Set, as do most of TNA's PPV's. It features some awesome extras such as an inside look at Aries. They talk with him about alot of stuff like the upcoming match with Roode, how he almost quit wrestling in 2011 before TNA called and much more. There's also a Before The Bell feature where they talk to Kenny King and Dakota Darsow about competing on this night and X Divison pioneers Chris Daniels & Kazarian give their thoughts on each competitor as well as various other things. Cool stuff.
Overall rating - 8/10
There wasn't a bad match on this show except maybe the short squash between Zema Ion and Flip Cassanova. The good definitely overshadows the bad. This is worth getting especially if you're an Aries fan because you get to see him finally win the TNA World Title. Other than that, you get a solid Angle/Joe match, a good Ultimate X, and several good X Division matches. I recommend to fans of Aries and the X Division.
Thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter @StylesClashx where I tweet about all things wrestling!
