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411’s Roundtable PPV Preview: TNA Final Resolution 2010
Welcome, 411 wrestling readers, to 411Mania’s TNA Pay-Per-View Roundtable! Last month, TNA held Turning Point where Immortal reigned supreme with Jeff Hardy retaining the world belt against Matt Morgan, Abyss beat the Pope with some help from the congregation, Jeff Jarrett beat Samoa Joe, and Fortune got Sabu of EV2.0 fired. The Motor City Machine Guns retained the tag belts and forced Team 3D to retire, while Robbie E. won the X-Division Championship from Jay Lethal, Rob Van Dam defeated Tommy Dreamer, and Mickie James are Tara wrestled to a no contest.
This month, TNA Final Resolution is the last show of the year as Jeff Hardy once again defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Matt Morgan, but with Morgan’s hand-picked referre, Mr. Anderson, officiating. AJ Styles defends his Television Title against former Fortune member Douglas Williams, the Motor City Machine Guns defends the tag belts in a Full Metal Mayhem Match against Generation Me, and Jay Lethal gets a rematch for the X-Division Title against Robbie E. with Cookie in a cage over the ring. Rhino tries to prove his worth by taking on Rob Van Dam, Abyss and the Pope compete in a Casket Match, Tara and Mickie James try to settle their differences once and for all in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, and the two Incs. of TNA, Beer Money, Inc. and Ink, Inc. vie for the #1 contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship. It’s another packed show from TNA, so let’s get right down to it!
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Joining the Roundtable this month are:
Ring of Honor recapper Michael Ornelas!
Celebrity reader, the Black Scorpion!
The man who shines a spotlight on wrestling each and every week, Michael Weyer!
Greg De Marco of the Wrestling 5 & 1!
NXT recapper Tony Acero!
Smackdown recapper Nick Bazar!
And of course, yours truly Chad Nevett!
Wow, they’re not even trying to make this a unique promo video for this PPV. And people wonder why TNA is seen as a third-rate company sometimes…
TNA Final Resolution
THE CARD:
Beer Money, Inc. vs. Ink, Inc.
Michael Ornelas: I like Beer Money more than I like Ink Inc. A lot more. However, if TNA wants to freshen up the contenders, they’ll give Ink Inc. the nod here, and that’s what I’m predicting.
Winner: Ink Inc.
Black Scorpion As long as Jesse Neal sees minimal time in the ring, this could turn out to be a good three and a half star match. Again, Neal would be an issue but the time allotted will also be a factor. Obviously, expect Beer Money to cheat especially towards the end and I’d say they will once again be the #1 contenders simply so we can have another great Beer Money/MCMG series.
Winner: NEW #1 Contenders: Beer Money Inc.
Michael Weyer: A bit early for a push on Ink Inc but then they do need some new blood in the tag team scene. Neal is a bit of an issue but Beer Money are good enough to carry most any team to a good match. I’m going with the vets here as it gives more of a push for Immortal to challenge for the tag belts soon.
Winners: BEER! MONEY!
Greg DeMarco: This is literally the only match on the card with no build, but it still has meaning. Battle of the Inc’s in a competition for the #1 contender spot. Beer Money vs. The MCMG was such a great feud, the new dynamics of Fortune & The Immortals could give it some new life or a 2nd run.
Winner: Beer Money Inc.
Tony Acero: With this match having next to no build I expect the match to be in relation to that. It’s probably going to be relatively short with Moore selling his ass off. If tonight’s show has any bearing on the match, I’m giving the win to Beer Money as it’s just more fitting and typical wrestling booking 101 says whomever wins the show before loses at the PPV. Ink Inc. I don’t like watching, but it could very well be the hair. With this being one of the few times I’ve watched TNA with any consistency, I may be wrong but I see NO reason why Ink Inc. should win this one.
Winner: BEEER! MONEY!
Nick Bazar: I don’t know that this match is necessary on an already stacked card, but it should be pretty good. Beer Money has been out of the tag title picture since losing the belts during the summer and I think it’s time for them to get back in there.
Winner: Beer Money
Chad Nevett: I’m not sure if TNA is ready to dive back into another Guns/Beer Money feud. I would be thrilled to see that, but I can see the wisdom in delaying it a little longer, so it can culminate at Slammiversary or something like that. That’s a ways off, so the Guns will need some other teams to feud with. Ink, Inc. have been close to reaching the titles, so why not them? Hell, them going over here could delay things even more if they get sidetracked into a short feud with Beer Money.
Winner: Ink, Inc.
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Beer Money, Inc. over Ink, Inc. [5-2]
Tara vs. Mickie James
Michael Ornelas: The enjoyment of this match will largely come from the booking as I’m sure both ladies will deliver. They are probably the only two active women’s wrestlers on cable that I’d buy in a match with seemingly hardcore stipulations. I really don’t know who I think should win, but I guess I’ll give it to Mickie so she can continue climbing the ladder towards the championship.
Winner: Mickie James
Black Scorpion Two women who can actually put on a watchable hardcore style match will be brawling it out in this one with, likely, a top contender position for the Knockouts Championship being handed down to the winner. Mickie at one time was beloved by the IWC and currently seems to be the whipping girl by most. Tara, of course, is loved by Sforcina and hence most of the ‘net. Unfortunately for them, however, Tara is best utilized at this stage of her career as enhancement talent and I see a potential three star women’s match with James going over to put the “feud” to rest.
Winner: Mickie James
Michael Weyer For once, the Knockouts have the talent to make this kind of match work. Both ladies are used to such brawls and have worked together before so we should get a terrific match. I’m still bugged they took the belt off Tara so soon and Mickie is the newcomer so by the usual TNA logic, she’ll get the win here and hopefully rise a bit better than the rough push TNA has given her so far.
Winner: Mickie James
Greg DeMarco: This the top program in the Knockouts division despite involving none of the titles. Which is fine, they don’t need titles in this one. I think this match will deliver given the experience of both women. It will be interesting to see how they use the stipulation and what it adds (if anything). Regardless, I expect a strong showing.
Winner: Mickie James
Tony Acero: This is TNA, right? Two former WWE Psycho’s being just that. Considering the entire month of November has been a “Falls Count Anywhere” I guess we’ll finally get a pin at the PPV. I think they’re going to give Mickie the win here to set her up nicely for the eventual title shot. I don’t agree with it, but it’ll probably happen. Tara (of that IS your real name) has been in TNA long enough to make me feel like she’s more TNA than WWE but Mickie’s still got the stench of WWE Diva on her (and if there’s ONE thing I feel TNA does better, it’s the Women’s division) yet I feel TNA is going to let Mickie take the win here.
Winner: Mickie James
Nick Bazar: So, do these two ladies hate each other? Maybe they could have made it more obvious. I kid, I kid. The build up for this match has been effective- it has made me want to see the payoff. Let’s see if they can deliver on it.
Winner: Mickie James
Chad Nevett: Yeah, this needs to end. Tara is an obstacle for James before James can go after Madison Rayne. They’ve managed to drag this out further than I would have expected, but after endless brawls, I hope Sunday ends this little feud.
Winner: Mickie James
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Mickie James over Tara [7-0]
Samoa Joe. vs. Jeff Jarrett
Michael Ornelas: This is the match I’m excited about. I really hope Jarrett’s gimmick overhaul makes him a better worker as he has a chance to get me interested in him again. Joe always delivers in singles matches that are given time, and the stipulation makes it that much better. I expect this feud to continue, and get Jarrett over as a submission guy, so therefore I’ll give my prediction to Double J.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Black Scorpion The exalted MMA expert Jeff Jarrett will put his considerable submission skill to the test against Samoa Joe. Seriously? I dig the whole MMA gig with Jarrett, the dojo promo with the kids was priceless, and this is exactly how a disrespectful heel acts. Jarrett is doing everything to mock Joe and make him look worthless, whereas Joe will benefit from a victory in this one from all the shenanigans that Double J has pulled. I see Immortal suffering a loss in this one, most likely by backfired interference leading to the rear naked choke and a tapout.
Winner:Samoa Joe
Michael Weyer: The build for this has actually been pretty fun with Jarrett using his fake MMA skills and the fun videos of his “practice” with people. It’s tempting to give him the win here via cheating but I think TNA will instead have his attempt to cheat backfire on him, allowing Joe to get him in a choke hold and prove to Jarrett what MMA style really is. But expect a beat-down on Joe afterwad to set up a rematch.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Greg DeMarco: Jeff Jarrett has been very effective as an old school heel in this feud, and he really has no need for The Immortals at this point–he’s better without them. He’s taking “what makes Joe, Joe” and throwing it in his face. I think Joe gets the win here, but I don’t think he’s done with Jarrett yet. And that could be a good thing.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Tony Acero: Jarrett’s MMA character has been pretty polarizing in the fact that some people hate it, some love it. I actually love it, particularly the angle he took with the little kid dojo, putting them in moves that I will probably eventually kill my little brother and blame Wrestling for. He’s being his typical asshole self but it’s a bit fresh (as fresh as MMA in Wrestling can be, at least) and makes me laugh. Considering Jarrett’s got the mental and TV upperhand throughout the entire fued, I see Samoa Joe taking him to school in this one.
Winner:Samoa Joe
Nick Bazar: I have enjoyed this feud quite a bit. Jeff Jarrett gets a lot of crap, but he can be entertaining in the right setting. Quite frankly, I missed heel Jarrett during his close to three-year face period. I am confident these two will deliver a fun match- hopefully they give the win to the right person.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Chad Nevett: I’m torn on this one. Kurt Angle is obviously waiting in the wings, but that doesn’t mean that Jarrett wins. It would be pretty easy to have Angle interfere to cost Jarrett the win before Angle can move on to Jeff Hardy. I’ve been really digging Jarrett as a heel and he and Joe could have a fantastic match here.
Winner: Samoa Joe
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Samoa Joe over Jeff Jarrett [6-1]
The Pope vs. Abyss
Michael Ornelas: I really don’t care about this match. I don’t buy casket matches. Maybe half of the ones that involve the Undertaker, but that’s about it. I’m just not really a fan of them, and it doesn’t matter who’s in it. Dinero and caskets don’t sound like something I want to see. I see Pope somehow getting a win here.
Winner: The Pope
Black Scorpion With the casket as the stipulation, the only thing required to win is to stuff your opponent in the casket and close the lid. I yearn for the older days when you had to score a pinfall to attempt a casket dump, though. Abyss works hardcore matches seemingly every week, and Pope has given a strong showing against Abyss backstage and in brawls around the ring. Honestly, there’s no reason to believe the Pope will get a fair shot, and if Abyss is in trouble, there are plenty of people who can run out and make the save. Personally, I think Immortal will keep Abyss strong and let him take this one.
Winner:Abyss
Michael Weyer: This is the first time I can ever recall a casket match taking place in wrestling without the Undertaker involved. Pope is good with hard brawling matches but let’s face it, this is Abyss’ type of match. Or rather, the type of match TNA loves to give to Abyss so expect him to get the win here.
Winner: Abyss
Greg DeMarco: I care about one thing in this match. Not Abyss. Not the casket match rules. Not Pope’s posse. The Pope. D’Angelo Dinero is one of the brightest bright spots in TNA right now, and I think he can excel in a match of this type. I hope to see him get creative to pull off the victory. TNA loves to protect Abyss, and it’s easy to protect him in a losing effort with the casket match stipulation.
Winner: The Pope
Tony Acero: Casket Matches are boring and mostly nonsensical. I don’t know what it is about Abyss but back when I would scattershotly watch TNA in hopes that it would pique my interest, he bothered me and now, with my 4 week in a row fix, I still find him boring. I don’t know why and I’m sure people will disagree, but the mask and the hardcore thing has been done already… Oh as for the match, I can see The Pope winning unless there’s some interference. Speaking of The Pope, that boy’s really come into his own ain’t he?
Winner:The Pope
Nick Bazar: They bored me last month in the Lumberjack Match and I really don’t think a casket will make it any more entertaining. This card is shaping up to be a “faces get their revenge” type show, and this match will fall under that category.
Winner: The Pope
Chad Nevett: At Turning Point, I saw Immortal not losing and that was a smart way to book things, but I can see Final Resolution having Immortal lose a couple of small fights like this one and the Jarrett/Joe match. The fringe battles that the group can laugh off. Beyond the result, I want nothing to do with this match, honestly.
Winner: The Pope
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: The Pope over Abyss [5-2]
Rob Van Dam vs. Rhino
Michael Ornelas: Another match that I’m not exactly psyched to see. This match is coming ten years too late, in my opinion, and I just really haven’t been able to get into the EV2.0 storyline or group. I see Van Dam bleeding here though.
Winner: Rhino
Black Scorpion I’m not sure what a “hardcore” First Blood match is going to comprise but I’d expect that the only way to make the opponent bleed and lose the match is through EXTENSIVE weapon usage. Rhino can work decently and RVD has some moments of greatness, so this match could be good if given about ten minutes with a lot of teases for the blood. Van Dam is obviously still considered main event material and given how badly he has looked in the past few weeks, tonight I think its made up to him.
Winner:Rob! Van! Dam! The! Whole! F’n! Show!
Michael Weyer: These two have a decade worth of working together so know how to make a wild brawl work. It should be a wild battle with Dreamer no doubt helping RVD teach Rhino some respect. The outcome is tricky but I can’t recall the last time RVD did a blade-job so expect Rhino to go crimson and end this brief feud.
Winner: RVD
Greg DeMarco: I like RVD. I like Rhino. I like ECW. But for some reason I’m not feeling this match. Both men have very distinct offensive styles, neither of which is tailored for a first blood match. On a card with a ton of stipulations, this match would have been fine with no stip at all. That said, RVD has to eventually find his way back into the title picture (given that he never actually lost the title), and I think it starts here.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
Tony Acero: RVD bores me but Rhino, for some reason, always gets me excited. Not in the manly love type of way, but something about his ferociousness. Besides all that, isn’t this match abot 5 to 10 years too late? Nevertheless, I expect this match to bore me as RVD hits the same moves he usually does. Considering Rhyno’s been doing some damage to what’s left of this ECW rejects group, I see him getting the win at least during this match to stretch it out a bit more.
Winner:Rhino
Nick Bazar: A dead crowd can really make an okay match seem terrible. Case in point: RVD/Dreamer from last month. If the Impact Zone can’t get behind an underdog like Dreamer, I worry for a guy like Rhino, and that will really hurt this match. I hope I’m wrong.
Winner: RVD
Chad Nevett: I don’t think Rhino is necessarily parting ways with TNA right away, but I don’t see the point in having him go over here. Rob Van Dam should move on from this to actually deal with one of the more prominent members of Immortal (perhaps AJ Styles for the TV Title?). Rhino goes down fighting, but RVD needs the win.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Rob Van Dam over Rhino [5-2]
Robbie E. (C) vs. Jay Lethal
Michael Ornelas: Guhh…can’t they just ban her from ringside? I feel like it’s just making a big spectacle for no reason. And it’s dangerous. If Becky Bayless should be in a cage anywhere, it’s in my apartment. Mmmmm. I’d love some of that Cookie. I don’t see them tossing the belt back at Lethal yet. Look for the Jersey guy to retain.
Winner: Robbie E.
Black Scorpion Poor Lethal. He went from feuding with Fortune and pinning Ric Flair to wrestling Robbie E. and losing because of a Snooki wannabe. However, when the company gets behind a young talent for whatever reason, they usually stay behind them the first month or so. In this case, it is way too early to cut Robbie E’s title reign short since he needs the belt and cheap heel heat to get over, whereas Lethal has been made to look great the last six months. Cookie may be in a cage, but the big question is if the Shore is only made of two people or if a new member debuts to make the save for our fist pumping champion. Lethal eats defeat tonight, and goes on to hopefully some better matches and opponents.
Winner:Robbie E, my dude!
Michael Weyer: We can all hope TNA shows some sanity and realizes you can’t back a title reign around a stupid gimmick guy. But then, logic rarely pertains to TNA. It’s unlikely they’d take the belt off so quick so Cookie finds a way to interfere from above and let Robbie retain for a future rematch and leave poor Lethal stuck in this horrible feud.
Winner and STILL X Division Champion: Robbie E
Greg DeMarco: Robbie E and Cookie are both great performers saddled with less than exciting gimmicks, but they’re owning those gimmicks and getting every ounce out of them. If there was really to be no Cookie-ference, then she’d be banned from ringside. But from a cage above the ring, it’s very easy for her to throw a shoe, can of hairspray, purse or other object down to Robbie E. So I expect that Robbie either uses said object to win, or Lethal intercepts it–but gets caught.
Winner: Robbie E (still TNA X-Division champion)
Tony Acero: I’ve given Jersey Shore, the show, 3 minutes of my life and was completely compelled to throw my Top Ramen at the screen (Hey, I’m a broke student). I feel the same way when Robbie E is on the screen, I guess the difference is he is SUPPOSED to evoke that feeling. If the match is like any other Jay Lethal match I have seen, I expect to like it immensely. Although the chubby chick hanging over the ring feels like a bit of a safety hazard….
Winner:Jay Lethal
Nick Bazar: Both of these guys entertain me, but Robbie E has more of an upside in TNA. Someone with power obviously loves him and I unfortunately can’t say the same about Lethal. A win for Robbie E, given the stip, would be great for his character. I am pretty confident he gets it here.
Winner: Robbie E
Chad Nevett: Oh god, I just don’t care.
Winner and STILL TNA X-Division Champion: Robbie E.
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Robbie E. over Jay Lethal [6-1]
AJ Styles (C) vs. Douglas Williams
Michael Ornelas: I think this match can steal the show if not overbooked. Unfortunately, I think Fourtune will involve themselves. I see a DQ ending here. Hopefully it gets time though. I’m writing this before iMPACT airs, so if they end up banning them from ringside, I expect a title change.
Winner but NOT new TV Champion: Douglas Williams
Black Scorpion This has the potential in my eyes to hit a four snowflake rating. Williams brings the suplexes and technical style while AJ brings high risk and beautiful looking manuevers. Questions about this one will probably involve if Williams can do well as a face in TNA, and if it gets time. I expect AJ to retain here simply because he’s one of the top men in Immortal and it doesn’t make much sense for him to lose the championship on essentially a quickly made match.
Winner:AJ Styles
Michael Weyer: Ah, here we go. AJ is magic in the ring with the right guy and Williams has just the right contrast in style to make this a good mix. I don’t think we’ll get a title switch yet but Williams will give it a good run before Immortal helps AJ retain but expect something pushing the four-star limit first as technical high flying goes against power.
Winner and STILL TNA TV Champion: The Phenomenal One
Greg DeMarco: This has the makings of a show stealer. Both men can deliver in the ring, and there is a good history between them. I don’t see why you move the title here, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility. That said, I think a little Fortune interference isn’t enough to ruin what will be a great match where AJ Styles retains.
Winner: AJ Styles (still TNA TV champion)
Tony Acero: I wasn’t able to see Williams leave Fortune until a nice little recap package of last week’s Impact. The last two weeks he’s handled Kaz and considering I see Jarrett and Abyss losing AND I like seeing AJ Styles with a belt, I don’t see them giving the title or the match to Williams. I’m sure there’s going to be some interruptions which will cause AJ to keep the belt. Let’s hope they give these two guys enough time to wrestle though as I can see that both guys can go.
Winner:AJ Styles
Nick Bazar: I am all kinds of excited over this. Both guys are always fantastic and I am curious to see what they can do together. Williams would benefit from being TV champ much more than Styles- the belt is made for a guy like Williams.
Winner: Douglas Williams
Chad Nevett: This should, hopefully, be competing with the tag title match for MOTN status. Two fantastic wrestlers that could blow the roof off the place. I would start the show with this match to get the crowd hot right off the bat. I love Douglas Williams, but I wouldn’t take the belt off AJ yet. As I suggested above, maybe feud him with Rob Van Dam or the Pope… even Samoa Joe. There are way more good contenders with AJ as champion. Plus, I do love his arrogant heel character.
Winner and STILL TNA Television Champion: AJ Styles
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: AJ Styles over Douglas Williams [5-2]
The Motor City Machine Guns (C) vs. Generation Me
Michael Ornelas: These guys have faced each other so many times between TNA and the indies that it’s actually nice to see a stipulation like this in place. It should freshen their match up. I like Generation Me, but they are much better on the indies. Maybe some day they’ll be TNA champions, but the Guns are having such a great year that until some team in Immortal wants gold, they’ll hold the belts.
Winner: Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley
Black Scorpion Get out the popcorn, strap a seatbelt to your chair, click it, and ENJOY! Without question this will be Match of the Night and put the TLC PPV to shame. Two of the best tag teams in the world today given a good amount of time could put on one of the best matches we’ve ever seen, new spots and older ones done with amazing new twists. If all four are motivated and ready to go, I can definately see this thing hitting four and a half stars or more. Gen Me haven’t been looking all that great lately, but I feel tonight they will make the performance of a lifetime yet they won’t grab the gold at this juncture.
Winners:Motor City Machine Guns
Michael Weyer: I haven’t been this hyped for a tag team match in a long while. The MCMG have been doing great as champions while Genertaion Me has been showing their own stuff pretty well and they can go at it wildly. That “empty arena” brawl was better than I thought so I can’t wait for them to go at it inside a cage with plenty of blood and spots. I’m tempted to say the title switch happens here but I think TNA will still hold off a bit as it’ll mean more when Gen Me does take it and sets up more terrific matches.
Winners and STILL TNA Tag Team Champions: The MCMG
Greg DeMarco: I expect big things from this match. After the empty arena match, I’m not sure the Guns aren’t acting more like heels against the face GenMe. Regardless, all four of these guys can compete in almost any environment, and I think they’re creative enough to make the unnecessary stipulation work. If AJ-Doug doesn’t steal the show, this should. I think we’re in line for another round of Guns-Geer Money, so I think the Guns retain.
Winner: The Motor City Machine Guns (still TNA World Tag Team Champions)
Tony Acero: Even without a crowd or commentary, they kept me interested. I think this is the match I am looking forward to the most. The Motor City Machine Guns are consistently good to great and have always entertained me. Even when not watching TNA, I was sure to catch their matches via the Tube of You or other nefarious means and more often than not, their opponents ARE Generation Me. They know each other very well and with a TLC (er…I mean Full Metal Mayhem) Stipulation, I expect soo much fun, it’ll make my head explode.
Winner: Motor City Machine Guns
Nick Bazar: TNA’s answer to TLC- although this will likely be better than any match following that stip at the TLC PPV. Spotfests have their place in wrestling, and I’d say this is the right place. I have loved the Machine Gun’s run with the belts, but I am going to go out on a limb with this one.
Winner: Generation Me
Chad Nevett: I hadn’t really considered Generation Me winning until Nick picked them. That could be a way to draw this feud out more… but, if so, where do you go from here? Another Ultimate X match? I don’t know. I do like that idea, though, because these two teams work so well together. This match should be amazing. I think I’ll follow Nick’s lead on this one…
Winners and NEW TNA World Tag Team Champions: Generation Me
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: The Motor City Machine Guns over Generation Me [5-2]
Jeff Hardy (C) vs. Matt Morgan
Michael Ornelas: He may be a badass, plowing through the competition, but much like Roderick Strong, Tyler Black, and John Morrison, Matt Morgan needs to learn to speak better. The guy just bores me, and mic skills are something I value in a wrestler. Regardless of my personal feelings towards Matt Morgan the performer, that’s not why I’m picking Jeff Hardy. Unless the guy’s going to jail in a week, they are going to milk this run dry. And I think that’s the right thing to do. He won’t lose it until there is a veritable stable-leader taking on Immortal challenging him.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Black Scorpion Morgan will have a special guest referee, as of this writing I haven’t seen Impact or read the spoiler so I don’t know who. I’m going to assume, however, it won’t amount to much as Jeff is likely to go over anybody for a while before the build to his loss. Morgan has done well for being thrust into a main event match at the last moment and could put on a good show, but there are a few questions about this one: Will Hardy end up going to jail the day after, or will the court hearing be postponed another two months for the bazillionth time? Will TNA risk having their world champion go to jail with the belt? I’m thinking the special referee is bought off or turns so that Hardy keeps the title, but the main question will be how wise that’ll be come the next visit to court for Mr. Hardy.
Winner:Jeff Hardy
Michael Weyer: They’ve done better than I expected turning Morgan face but still obvious the guy’s a filler for Hardy until they find someone better. The special ref adds a new dimension but I don’t think it’s going to help too much. Immortal will interfere to help Jeff retain and probably a beat-down on Morgan and whoever helps to continue to sell this new heel group as a powerhouse.
Winner and STILL TNA World Champion: Jeff Hardy
Greg DeMarco: Time to get a little crazy. At the height of the New World Order, Hogan was booked to face Lex Luger at Road/Hog Wild, but instead dropped the title to him at the Nitro prior. Hogan then retained at the PPV. As I’m sharing in this week’s Wrestling 5&1, I think TNA may do the reverse. I expect a decent little match until we get several run-ins and craziness with special referee Mr. Anderson that ends with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship over the shoulder of on Matt Morgan. I don’t think he makes it to Genesis with the title as TNA isn’t above hot potatoing the belt around a time or two, and now he’ll have Hardy/Immortal to deal with, and he’ll be indebted to Mr. Anderson (given Anderson doesn’t turn, which I don’t think he does). Morgan becomes champ, at least temporarily.
Winner: Matt Morgan (and NEW TNA World Heavyweight Champion)
Tony Acero: Jeff Hardy as a heel sucks because he talks more than when he was a face in WWE. He’s not good at talking and last week’s Thanksgiving speech made me chuckle only because it was so horribly done and seemingly forced. I’ve also lost some semblance of respect for Hardy after his drunken rant on CM Punk. As for the wrestling, the match, I expect the power game to match well with Hardy’s fast paced ring work. I honestly haven’t seen Hardy wrestle in heel mode so I’m interested to see if his high flying is turned down a notch or two or if he keeps the same style. Nonetheless, I think Hardy losing doesn’t make sense in the grand scheme of things but keep in mind that I’ve been watching steadily for a little under a month.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Nick Bazar: Morgan has more than held his own in the main event scene. He looks like he belongs, and it will hopefully be more permanent than the last time he had a brush with world title matches. Anderson being the referee really makes this one harder to predict. That said, I don’t see Hardy losing his $18,000 custom belt that quickly. Anderson is taken out somehow and a regular ref runs down to make the final count.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Chad Nevett: The addition of Mr. Anderson to the match definitely complicates matters, but he’s easy to get rid off in a ref bump that plays into his concussion. Cue Jackson James (aka Garrett Bischoff) to screw over Matt Morgan and Jeff Hardy retains. All Immortal is missing right now is a crooked referee to complete their nWo-esque group.
Winner and STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion: Jeff Hardy
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Jeff Hardy over Matt Morgan [6-1]
Michael Ornelas: From now on my “buy or no buy” will represent an interest in more than 50% of the matches. I’m interested in 4 matches on this show, and therefore will say no buy. I like Tara/James, Jarrett/Joe, MCMG/GenMe, & Styles/Williams.
Buy or No Buy: No Buy
Black Scorpion In the comments section I often speak about how WWE puts on very bland, stale, and predictable shows. However, TNA does its share of bad booking only it has a much more talent rich roster than WWE does. Some of the top guys in the company right now are AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Motor City Machine Guns, Generation Me, Kazarian, and Beer Money. Compare that lineup to Edge, Kane, Wade Barrett, Randy Orton, John Cena, and The Miz. One thing you notice? TNA has the advantage with wrestling skill and high risk offense. I’ve said before the company has a billion dollar roster and tonight they have the opportunity for at least three matches to hit four stars, if they give enough time and thought to them. TNA has the opportunity here to put on a great event, and I’m going to stay hopeful that they make full usage of that.
Buy or No Buy: Buy.
Michael Weyer: The tag title match looks great and Styles/Williams has promise but overall, the rest of the card seems not as great. Mickie/Tara should be good but Abyss/Pope probably not and the X Division bout is an embarassment. I guess it depends on how hot you are for Immortal but I personally think it’s skippable.
Buy or No Buy: No buy.
Greg DeMarco: TNA needs to stay out of its own way with this card. You can have little to no involvement from Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Dixie Carter and this card can be their best of the year. I suspect that it will. The line-up is solid on paper, with a whopping one match (out of nine) that doesn’t have an established backstory (Beer Money-Ink Inc) and one match with stinker potential (Jay Lethal-Robbie E). My gut instinct is that TNA is going to hold back a little and save their next round of swervilicious surprises for the new year. And I think that will end up allowing this card to shine despite the overuse of stipulations. I really think this PPV will be a very pleasant surprise for TNA.
Buy or No Buy: Buy
Tony Acero: I made a decision early November to put forth a legitimate effort to watch TNA Impact on a weekly basis. I’ve tried this experiment before and never has it lasted this long (typically 30 minutes in, I turn it off because they do something so stupid I don’t feel like wasting my time) With that being said, apparently they are doing something right at least in my mind because I have been interested all month of November with the build to Final Resolution. They’ve kept the CRAP to a minimum and truly feel like they care about the upcoming PPV. If they keep this up, they may be able to gain another fan….although, I have my doubts. Prove me wrong, TNA….Prove. Me. Wrong.
Buy or No Buy: Buy
Nick Bazar: Yes, there are a lot of gimmick matches. Yes, I know as a member of the IWC, I am supposed to hate that. But give TNA credit, every stipulation here makes sense. This is a very intriguing PPV that will no doubt produce at least a couple of great matches. Why not reward TNA with our $35 for a level-headed, logical approach to building a PPV? I will.
Buy or No Buy: Buy
Chad Nevett: This is a tempting PPV. As I’ve said before, I don’t have the digital cable box that would allow me to order PPVs, but I do buy the odd one on DVD if the reviews are strong. Final Resolution has the potential to deliver some really strong matches, but I am worried about there being nine matches on the card plus whatever crap they decide to throw in with Hogan, Bischoff, and Carter. It looks very overbooked as it is. It’s a toss-up and comes down to whether or not you trust TNA to limit the matches that will obviously be mediocre/no one cares too much about, while giving the ones with the potential to be great enough time, or not. I’m afraid I don’t. I hope I’m wrong.
Winner: No buy
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Buy over No Buy [4-3]
There you have it folks. And now for the monthly Roundtable awards…the 411Mania staff’s sure pick of the show and anyone’s game match!
Sure Pick of the Show: Mickie James over Tara [7-0]
Anyone’s Game: Beer Money over Ink, Inc. / The Pope over Abyss / Rob Van Dam over Rhino / AJ Styles over Douglas Williams / The Motor City Machine Guns over Generation Me [5-2]
And of course…the standings Year-to-Date! At Turning Point, most of the participants went five for eight with myself and Michael Ornelas coming in last with only half of our predictions correct. Robert S. Leighty Jr was the big winner going six for eight. Though, that Mickie James/Tara no contest hurt everyone.
Steve Cook: 7 of 10 (70%)
Robert S. Leighty Jr: 11 of 16 (68.75%)
Kyle Fitta: 6 of 9 (66.67%)
Andy Critchell: 6 of 9 (66.67%)
Michael Weyer: 22 of 35 (62.86%)
Nick Bazar 15 of 24 (62.5%)
Benjamin Waller: 5 of 8 (62.5%)
Mathew Sforcina: 5 of 8 (62.5%)
Greg DeMarco: 5 of 8 (62.5%)
Jeremy Thomas: 17 of 28 (60.7%)
Chad Nevett: 26 of 44 (59.09%)
Aaron Hubbard: 10 of 17 (58.82%)
Larry Csonka: 10 of 17 (58.82%)
Ronnie LaFianza: 15 of 26 (57.69%)
Black Scorpion: 4 of 8 (50%)
Michael Ornelas: 4 of 8 (50%)
Michael Bauer: 4 of 9 (44.44%)
Because of his strong performance, Leighty is now in second while Waller, Sforcina, and DeMarco all make impressive debuts. I continue to slowly slide down the rankings, but I have a good feeling about Final Resolution.
And, of course, don’t forget to join 411’s Larry Csonka on Sunday night for LIVE coverage starting at 7:30 pm!
