411’s TNA No Surrender Report 9.20.09

Hey yo. We’ve got 9 matches on the card tonight, and half of them might even be good! So without further ado…

Finals Of The Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament: The Beautiful People vs. Sarita and Taylor Wilde

The Lucha Ladies are color-coordinated and everything! Awwww. DAT AZZ SQUARED are out in identical outfits, and yes it is Madison Rayne taking over. I love you cameraman. Tenay does mention the issues with Angelina Love’s visa and also mentions that TNA Management allowed Rayne to sub in. Wait a second…Earl Hebner is out and is evicting Slick Johnson from the match!

Wilde starts off by taking advantage of the distraction with a quick scoop slam. Tag to Sarita who gets a drop toehold into a crossface, some quick counters and Sarita gets 3 two-counts on Sky. Tag to Wilde, a double back elbow and a double team moonsault gets 2. Sky gets a kneelift and a tag to Rayne who charges right into a drop toehold by Wilde which is followed by an elbow drop. Sarita tags in and drops an elbow too but has a whip reversed and gets thrown head first to the mat. Rayne with some kicks in the corner, tag to Sky and they get a double team takedown for 2. Sloppy hair beal by Sky on Sarita. Sky tries a sunset flip, Sarita rolls through but misses the drop kick as Sky moves. 2 count for Sky. CURB STOMP gets 2 for Sky. Well, an upside down curb stomp. Madison tags in and gets a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Tag back to Sky with some chops, she tries a clothesline but Sarita gets the floatover DDT! Shades of the Rock! Tag to Rayne AND TO WILDE! Dropkick! Finlay roll! Dropkick for Sky! Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets 2 for Wilde. All 4 ladies in now, Sarita vaults over Sky and hits a forearm on Love! Dropkick to Sky and she goes to the floor! Wilde has a waistlock on Rayne…SPRINGBOARD DROPKICK BY SARITA into the German by Wilde! 1…2…3!

Winners, and NEW Knockout Tag Team Champions: Sarita and Taylor Wilde via pinfall (Wilde on Rayne, springboard dropkick/German suplex combo)
Rating: **3/4 Too short for anything else. It was good and exciting and Velvet Sky looked better than she ever has in TNA, but with the time they had they couldn’t reallyu have done any better.

Taz and Tenay run down the card.

Wilde and Sarita are backstage with Lauren and they have a mutual lovefest. Everyone’s wonderful.

Video package for Eric Young and Hernandez. JB is with the World Elite and once again Kiyoshi takes over the mic. Young is still convinced Hernandez will join them. Their match is next and Young is in a suit. He won’t fight Hernandez, if Hernandez wants to hit him he can. He’ll take it. OK so why is this on my PPV?

Eric Young vs. Hernandez

That IS a very nice suit, but when you have 8 other matches scheduled do we need this? Hernandez is out with his briefcase…

NASTY forearm right off the bat! Northern lariat by Hernandez and he hits a shoulder block sending Young to the floor! That was sick. Headbutt to the chest back inside, then a Border Toss to finish. Mmmmm squash.

Winner: Hernandez via pinfall (Border Toss)
Rating: DUD Could have been done on Impact. This fools nobody, we all know now that Hernandez is cashing in.

Matt Morgan is with JB. Morgan thinks this is all about him and Kurt, and he can already feel the burn in his hand from the torch that he’s going to rip from Kurt’s grasp. Very nice. Morgan figures the future is now. Excellent promo.

Video package for the X-Division title match.

TNA X-Division Title Match: Samoa Joe © vs. Daniels

Fresh from karaoke, Daniels is out. Allegedly he sang Let’s Get It On. Joe is looking pissed. The fans in the expensive seats try and fail to start an X-Division chant.

Joe powers Daniels off the lockup but Daniels uses his speed to avoid the charge and gets a pair of quick dropkicks, he charges in for a third and gets shoulder blocked to the mat. Hard. Beatdown in the corner now by Joe. He perches Daniels on the top but Daniels pushes him off and uses the separation to hit a headscissors off the top! Joe bails to the floor, TOPE by Daniels to the floor! Back inside and Daniels gets a drop toehold and a kneedrop to the back of the head. Neckbreaker gets 2 for Daniels. 10-count punches in the corner by Daniels, a charging lariat and Daniels goes up top…dives into a uranage slam by Joe! Snap mare, chop to the back, kick to the test and a knee drop by Joe gets 2. OH NOES! Evil Heel Nerve Hold…of Doom! Daniels fights free but runs into a back elbow by Joe. Back to the nerve hold. Again Daniels fights out but gets hit with a snap powerslam for two. Snap jabs by Joe, Daniels is on rubber legs. Daniels ducks under a chop and hits a jawbreaker and and an enziguiri! Palm strikes by Daniels and a leg lariat takes Joe down! Bulldog headlock by Daniels and he’s going to the high rent district…Alabama Jam! Joe rolls to the floor before the pin, Daniels stands on the apron and kicks Joe before hitting an Arabian press to the floor! Daniels breaks the count and tries to haul Joe up, Joe is sandbagging him. He suddenly regains his senses and rams Daniels into the post and then the steps. He rolls Daniels onto the apron and hits a running clothesline to the legs of Daniels, taking him down to the apron. Back inside Daniels fights back with forearms, he runs the ropes and Joe catches him, crosses Daniels’ legs and drives them into the mat in a sitout position! NEVER seen that before, but damn if it wasn’t awesome. Doesn’t have to be flashy to look good. Joe stomps on the legs, Daniels tries again to come back with forearms but Joe hits some leg kicks and rolls through into a heel hook. Daniels makes the ropes. Joe gets a powerbomb and transitions into an STF, then into a single leg crab. Again Daniels makes the ropes. More leg kicks by Joe, Daniels jumps over one and hits a flying neckbreaker! Daniels gets some jabs, a clothesline and a leg lariat and apparently he has forgotten that his legs have been battered. BOOO! Daniels slides between Joe’s legs and takes him down, then gets a flying top-rop clothesline! 1…2…no. Codebreaker! 1…2…no! He tries a back suplex but Joe blocks due to being too heavy and hits a half-nelson release suplex! 1…2…2.835! Joe tries for a Samoan drop, Daniels fights it off with elbows and hits the STO! Here it comes…Best! Moonsault! MISSES! Daniels lands on his feet, semi-sells the knee but still charges Joe, who moves. Enziguiri by Joe! Muscle buster time…Daniels slips out the back! Angel’s Wings…too heavy! Last Rites countered, Dragon Sleeper applied by Joe slips out and grabs the Kokina Klutch! Down to the mat the go, the hooks are in! Daniels tries to fight out but can’t do it, can’t reach the rope…he taps!

Winner: Samoa Joe via submission (Kokina Klutch)
Rating: ***½ Given the epic battles these two have had, this was a letdown. It started off meh, got better but never really found that special gear we’ve come to expect from these two. The last 2 minutes were the best part of the match. Only question now is who they feed to Joe next.

JB is with Mick Foley. Foley is upset because there’s an empty spot on his wall. The Tweet n Tweak picture has been smashed and Foley is unhappy about that.

Falls Count Anywhere: Suicide vs. Pope D’Angelo Dinero

D’Angelo Dinero is backstage but gets interrupted by Suicide! There’s a ref waiting in the ring while they slug it out backstage, the ref calls for the bell to start the match and runs backstage! Pope slams Suicide into a wall, then sets up Suicide on some equipment cases before climbing onto a higher area and dropping an elbow! That gets 2 after Dinero sells his own elbow. Suicide has fought back now and gets a small package for 2. Pope’s head gets driven into a…something metal. Pope fights back again and places Suicide into a conveniently-placed chair, then knocks him off it. Point? Pope goes for a headbutt but hurts his own head, then gets backdropped into a dumpster! 2 count only for Suicide in the dumpster. Never thought I’d type that. Pope manages to regain the upper hand then gets in a vehicle of some sort! He tries to ram Suicide twice, each time the masked man is able to avoid it before managing to haul Pope out of the vehivle. He rams Pope into a barricade, Pope tries to escape by climbing over a chainlink fence. Suicide grabs his tights, pulls them down and shows more of Pope than I ever wanted to see, then slams Pope off the fence onto some pallets for 2. Suicide puts Pope onto a wheeled cart and runs him into something, then jumps on him. Another 2 count. They’re heading back to the arena, Pope is ahead of Suicide and ambushes him as he comes around a corner. Pope puts Suicide’s head onto the ring bell and whacks it with the hammer. DING! Suicide manages to roll Pope into the ring and hits a springboard dropkick for 2. Pope goes back outside, slingshot crossbody by Suicide to the floor! Both men are feeling it now. Pope is inside the ring while Suicide is getting a table, Pope sees it and slides between the ropes to kick the table into Suicide…badly. Pope sets up the table to the side of the ramp about halfway up, then suplexes Suicide on the ramp for 2. He argues the count and then tries another splex on to the table but Suicide escapes out the back! Rights by Suicide and a clothesline gets 2. Suicide Solution attempt countered, Pope hits some stiff shots and Suicide teases falling off the stage! Pope pulls down the kneepads but charges right into a dropkick! Pope’s head hit the stage HARD. Suicide goes backstage and fetches ANOTHER table, he sets it up and takes Pope up for a Finlay Roll into the table! Pope escapes but Suicide gets him up again and connects with the Finlay Roll on the stage! Both men are hurting from that move. Suicide puts Pope on the table and…he has an idea. This can’t end well. He climbs the set! BANZAI!!! Pope moves! Suicide goes ass-first through the table! Pope rolls on top! 1…2…3!!!

Winner: D’Angelo Dinero via pinfall (Suicide breaking his ass)
Rating: *** These matches can be hit or miss. Very rarely do you get one that isn’t really either, but this one managed it. It was better than some I’ve seen but there wasn’t really anything here that I’ll remember next week. Good, not great.

Video package for ODB vs Deaner.

To Decide The TNA Knockouts Champion: Cody Deaner vs. ODB

I watched Joe Dirt the other day for abo0ut the 14th time. I have no idea why that just came into my head. It’s not like Deaner should have been in it or anything. Of course that would make ODB his sister and I really don’t need that mental image.

This had better be short, cos it won’t be sweet. ODB makes some lewd gestures with Deaner’s shirt. She ducks a big backhand and lays in some chops and slaps. Deaners pushes her off but she ducks another wild swing and hits some more slaps. Deaner gets a low blow…which does nothing. ODB celebrates behind his back and then hits a clothesline. Deaner goes to the floor to recoup but ODB hits a diving attack! She rams Cody’s head into the apron then rolls him in. Whip reversed, Cody charges into a boot by ODB, she goes up top but gets dragged off by Deaner! 2 count only. Deaner makes as if to punch her in the face but thinks better of it. Scoop slam by Deaner gets 2. Deaner takes a swig from ODB’s flask and leaps…into the crotch claw!!! BALL BEAL! She climbs to the top, rams his head into the turnbuckle then gets a Lou Thesz press for 2!!! Cody gets a double leg and pins with the feet on the ropes! Ref sees it and won’t count! They argue and the ref pushes Cody into a cradle! 1…2…no! ODB tries a sunset flip but Cody grabs the ropes! The ref kicks his hands off! 2 count only!!! DEANER HITS THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH! 1…2…NO! ODB fights back and hits the TKO! 1…2…3!!!

Winner: ODB via pinfall (TKO)
Rating: *½ They were on a hiding to nothing here, as man vs woman can be impossible to book. They did about as well as one could expect given the terrible story, which is why it isn’t a dud, and the result was at least the right one.

JB is with Kurt Angle. He wants to know if Kurt has bitten off more than he can chew. Kurt laughs that off and says Morgan is stupid. His biceps don’t matter because he has no brain to go with it. Morgan will end up another statistic. As for AJ, Kurt says he loves fairy tales but tonight won’t have a happy ending.

Legend’s Title/$50,000 Bounty Match: Kevin Nash vs. Abyss

Mick Foley is out to do some commentary, with his barbed wire baseball bat. That won’t factor in the decision AT ALL, I’m sure. Abyss is out in his hobo gear, hoodie and all. Of course he still manages to wave at the fans. Just to show off how stupid the booking for this guy has been, he does his trademark arm-crossing pose followed by his silly clap. Nash is all in red tonight and is not looking any younger. The ref has a red duffel bag allegedly containing the money.

Nash starts with a kneelift and lays in some stiff rights. Whip by Nash, Abyss ducks the clothesline and hits some rights of his own before running into a Nash clothesline. Trademark knees in the corner by Nash followed by the foot choke. More knees in the corner, Abyss reverses a whip and gets an avalanche in the corner. He tries for another but Nash gets a knee up. Goozle! Abyss also gets a goozle! Nash fights him off then clotheslines him up and over! Nash goes for a chair but misses. Abyss takes Nash’s head to the railing and then the steel steps. Taz and Foley are comparing notes about being yelled at through their headsets. Abyss rolls Nash back in then goes around the ring to get in himself, before he notices Dr. Stevie sitting on a chair at the top of the ramp. Nash uses this to his advantage and gets a big boot. Back elbows in the corner by Nash, then he chokes Abyss over the middle rope. OMG NASH LEFT HIS FEET TWICE! Elbow drop and a Hogan leg drop get 2. Goozle by Nash, Abyss elbows out and hits a flying clothesline. Avalanche in the corner by Abyss, a side slam and a cover gets 2! Dr Stevie comes down to ringside and the ref is distracted…Daffney is out with a tazer!!!! BLACK HOLE SLAM on Daffney! Abyss has the tazer and stalks Nash…Stevie snatches it! Again the ref is distracted…Nash has a chair…WHAM home run swing! Back back back back…gone! Abyss’s head is out of the park! Cover, the ref is out of position! 1…2…NO!!! Nash sets for the Jackknife, Abyss is too big! CHOKESLAM by Abyss! 1…2…2.9003! Abyss points to Foley and asks for the bat! Foley says the ref is right there but brings it anyway! The ref of course goes out to stop that, and Nash has the tazer! TO THE NUTS! SIZZLING BALLS! 1…2…3!!!

Winner: Kevin Nash via pinfall (Abyss’ nuts roasting on an open tazer)
Rating: *½ Yup, same as the match before. Abyss is a good big man, but he’s not good enough to carry an old, broken-down Nash to a good match. The rating here is largely due to Daffney being awesome and the hilarious image of the finish.

Post match Dr. Stevie tries to snatch the bag, Nash dislikes this option and decides a Jackknife to the good doctor is a far better plan. He leaves with the belt and the money.

Lethal Lockdown Match: Beer Money vs. Team 3D vs. Scott Steiner and Booker T vs. The British Invasion

Am I alone in thinking that Lethal Lockdown matches should be saved for Lockdown? While they build the structure Taz and Tenay witter on about the rules of the match.

Doug Williams is out first. I’d imagine that Roode or Storm will be out for the faces. Yup, it’s Storm. Williams charges him on the ramp but Storm spits beer in his face and then drops him on the ramp. He takes Williams’ head to the steps and rolls him in, but Williams catches Storm with a knee on the way in. Whip by Williams and a charging clothesline, they fight over who will go into the cage, but give up on that as Storm gets a back elbow into a charging Williams. Tornado inverted DDT by Storm, but there are no covers yet. Whip and a clothesline by Storm. Williams gets a jawbreaker then chokes Storm with his own shirt. Whip reversed, BIG back body drop by Storm. Eye of the Storm connects! Now it’s Storm’s turn to choke Williams with the shirt. Williams gets a low blow and tries a suplex, Storm blocks it and levels him with a clothesline. Again they fight over who’s going into the cage. Williams gets a European uppercut but Storm goes to the eyes and drops him with a right. The countdown is on and here comes Brutus Magnus. Storm tries to dropkick the cage door into Brutus Magnus, Magnus avoids it and then slams the cage door into Storm who was whipped into it by Williams! Ouch. They hit the same double-team takedown that The Beautiful People hit earlier, then launch Storm into the cage. Knee drop by Williams and storm is cut. nRights by Magnus to the wound as the countdown is on. I’d say Roode. Yup. Clotheslines everywhere! Back body drop for Williams and a spinebuster for Magnus! He is a house! En! FUEGO~! Elbows in the corner by Roode on Williams, a whip and Roode charges into an elbow. Williams goes for a sunset flip but Roode blocks and catapults him into a DDT by Storm! Nice. Charging clothesline to Magnus in the corner, snap mare by Storm, neck snap by Roode and a knee drop by Storm. They set for the double suplex on Williams but Magnus breaks it up. Inverted atomic by Roode and a backstabber by Storm. They take Both Magnus and Williams to the cage as the countdown hits…Steiner is out. Interesting to have him out before Booker. Clothesline for Roode, one for Storm and a pair of suplexes. Rights to Roode in to corner, a whip and Steiner charges into a boot. Roode goes up top but Steiner goes up with him and we have our requisite PPV top rope Frankensteiner. Steiner and Magnus throw Roode into the cage, javelin-style, then repeat the exercise with Storm. Countdown is on again and we have Devon. Right hands for everyone! Steiner gets a whip on Devon but he runs right through Steiner. Thesz press to Magnus! Now the faces are all teeing off on a heel. Double clohtesline to Steiner. This is the lull period I guess. Roode is beating on Steiner, Devon is on…Williams. Booker T is out and is in no hurry, posing at the top of the ramp with the tag titles before lesiurely strolling to the ring. He goes right for Roode and gets the arm wrench and kick, then hits the Harlem sidekick on Devon. Magnus and Williams work over Storm before Booker hits a superkick. Steiner is squishing Roode’s head in the cage door! 10 seconds til Ray. Here he comes, and now we can have weapons. BIG ROB! He takes out Ray on the ramp and then waffles him with a chair! OK dude be huge. He tells the guy who controls the cage to lower the roof of the cage, and frankly when Big Rob tells you to do something, you do it. Steiner hits a big clothesline on Storm. Steeiner is getting a trash can which he deposits on Roode’s head. Magnus has a crutch and he drives it into Devon’s neck. Ray is trying to get to the ring but Big ROb is still out there…with a chair…he misses! Ray KILLS Big Rob with a chair shot! In comes Ray and everyone gets a chair shot! Devon has a trash can lid and nails a shot. Slam on Booker, Ray puts a trash can on Booker’s groin and CRUSHES it with the crutch! Roode waffles a Brit with a trash can, can’t tell which Brit though. Magnus is on top of the cage and Storm has gone up to join him. This also cannot end well. Storm is dangling off the side of the cage with Magnus standing over him…Roode from behind with a crutch shot! Oh damn…oh this won’t tickle…DOUBLE SUPLEX ON THE CAGE ROOF! Wait for it…wait for it…

BEER! MONEY~!

Magnus may be broken in two. Meanwhile, 3D hit the 3D on Steiner but Booker and Williams hit chair and trash can shots. Book End on Ray gets 2. Booker charges with the trash can but connects with Williams! Storm nails him with a trash can! BLOCKBUSTER by Roode! Roode sets for DWI…connects! 1…2…3!

Winners: Beer Money Inc and Team 3D via pinfall (Storm on Booker, DWI)
Rating: ***½ This would have been higher had they not had a long lull in the middle of the match. Obviously when you’re going about 20 minutes you can’t go all-out the whole time, but the middle 5 really dragged. They did weave some nice spots in towards the end, and having Big Rob try and interfere was intelligent. The weapons spots were largely uninteresting but they did their job.

Rhyno is with Lauren. He says real men wrestle. He doesn’t care about MMA. There’s no octagon, there’s a six-sided TNA ring. Rhino gives us a few reasons why they call him the war machine, with not one mention of Jim Rhodes.

Bobby Lashley vs Rhino

Lashley looks almost as ginormous as Big Rob. There’s a match they need to book: HGH on a Pole, Bobby Lashley vs Big Rob.

Tenay and Taz are kissing Lashley’s ass already. Rhino charges before the bell but Lashley is ready and beats the hell out of him. Snap suplex by Lashley gets 2. Whip and a charge by Lashley, Rhino tags him with a sick right hand but runs into a Lashley clothesline. Rhino bails and Lashley goes to get him. He slams Rhino’s head to the apron and hits some elbows to the back of Rhino’s head, but loses his concentration and gets whipped into the railing. Rhino goes in to break the count, why didn’t he just stay inside and take the countout win? Lashley gets rolled back in and eats a spinebuster. Impressive. 1…2…no. Shots to the back now by Rhino in the corner. Forearm shiver to the back and more clubbing blows. Chinlock applied by Rhino. Lashley fights out but gets leveled with a clothesline for 2. Back to the chinlock now. Never really noticed it before but Rhino’s offence is really boring. Lashley again fights out and hits a big back elbow. Both men are down, they get up at 7. Lashlley avoids a charge and hits a hip toss and a clothesline. Whip and a charging clothesline and some serious shoulder blocks to the midsection in the corner. Rhino is cut open above the left eye. Gutbuster over the shoulder by Lashley and damn Rhino is a mess. Lashley charges for a Spear and CATCHES THE REF! Lashley checks on the ref, but turns into a Gore, GORE, GORE~! New ref! 1…2…No!!! Rhino sets for another Gore…he runs into a big right hand! 1…2…3? Really?

Winner: Bobby Lashley via pinfall (punch. No, really)
Rating: *¼ Ugh. Rhino controlled the match and was boring. Lashley’s offence looked a little better than I remembered but who the hell thought a punch was a good idea for a finish? This did nothing for me whatsoever.

JB is with Sting and AJ Styles. He asks AJ where his mind is, since he was about to quit a couple of weeks ago. AJ says he only has winning on his mind. Not Georgia? Sting woke him up and he’s going to show the world that he is the best at what he does. Sting wants to know if AJ is ready. No, he said ARE YOU READY? Wait, my bad. Wrong show. It’s Showtime, allegedly.

Video package. These have been great all night.

Four-Way TNA World Title Match: Kurt Angle © vs. Matt Morgan vs. Sting vs. AJ Styles

JB is doing the über-special ring announcing and is even more annoying than normal. As the camera pans to Angle, you can see a female in the background tapping her arm in the universal “speed it up” gesture. HERNANDEZ! Oh damn.

Cashing in! Hernandez is now part of this match!

Four-Way TNA World Title Match: Kurt Angle © vs. Matt Morgan vs. Sting vs. AJ Styles vs. Hernandez

I thought maybe Hernandez had a shot at leaving with the belt, but cashing in now likely means he won’t. It makes no sense going to Bound for Glory with a face champ. Angle is bitching to everyone about this decision, then slaps Hernandez. DUMB. Hernandez levels him with a clothesline then shoulder tackles him across the ring. He hip tosses him back across the ring, then takes him up for the vertical suplex! Delaying…delaying…delaying…Sting, Morgan and AJ are just watching. He finally drops him and that had to be a full minute. Hernandez clotheslines Angle up and over and we have the opening bell. Sting and AJ try to get quick pins on Morgan in the ring, then try to double team him. He hurls AJ into the corner while Hernandez suplexes Angle on the ramp. Avalanche to AJ in the ring, Morgan throws him to the floor then gets a scoop slam on Sting for 2. Angle is being beaten silly by Hernandez on the ramp. OH GOD a Border Toss! ERIC YOUNG IS OUT! He takes out the knee of Hernandez with a nightstick then piledirves him on the stage!!!!! In the ring, Sting and AJ play tennis with Matt Morgan as the ball. Double suplex to Morgan, who rolls to the floor. Sting and AJ face off while paramedics tend to Hernandez. SWANK dropkick to Sting by AJ. Angle has made his way to ringside, AJ tries a somersault tope to Morgan and Angle but it seems like he missed. Not sure if that was planned or not. Sting comes outside but Morgan takes him to the railing. Morgan and Angle have an agreement now! Sting takes Morgan to the rail, inside the ring Kurt has AJ up for a tombstone! AJ reverses! Angle rolls through and applies the ankle lock! AJ counters to a rollup! 1…2…no. Headscissors by AJ and Angle goes to the floor. Baseball slide into a head scissors is fluffed by AJ but they go through with it anyway. Morgan and Sting are in the ring now and Morgan tosses the elbow pads for that vicious alternating elbows spot. Avalanche by Morgan and a release side slam for 2. Angle hits a backbreaker on AJ on the floor. He goes inside and he and Morgan take it in turns nailing Sting with right hands. Morgan holds Sting in place while Angle goes to the body. Angle cuts off AJ who is trying to get back in, then kneels on the back of Sting’s neck. Morgan stands on his head. AJ WITH THE SPRINGBOARD FOREARM ON ANGLE! He goes after Morgan and tries a crossbody…bad plan. Fair catch by Morgan, he talks the talk before throwing AJ overhead. Sting catches Morgan in the knee with a few kicks then clotheslines Angle up and over, only to eat a Morgan clothesline. 2 count for Morgan on Sting. AJ now goes to work on Morgan but turns into an overhead belly to belly from Angle. Angle kicks Sting to the floor and body slams AJ. Morgan tosses AJ across the ring with a body slam. Big leg drop by Morgan. Whip by Angle, he charges but AJ moves and Angle gets the post! DROPKICK BY MORGAN! Good grief! That was impressive. Morgan hits the Boss Man attack on AJ who is draped over the top rope. 1…2…no. Whip, AJ holds on to the ropes and avoids the charge…PELE TO MORGAN! Release German by Angle on AJ! MISSILE DROPKICK by Sting on Angle! Everybody is down. We haven’t seen or heard anything about Hernandez since the piledriver. Sting, Morgan and Angle are up. Punches and a scoop slam for Angle and Morgan, Stinger splash to both men! 10-count punches on Morgan, Angle goes up behind him and hits the Angle Slam! 1…2…AJ breaks it! AJ counters the Angle Slam into the Styles Clash! 1…2…Morgan breaks it! Enziguiri to Morgan by AJ! Morgan reverses a whip but runs into double boots, AJ goes up top, he leaps…INTO THE BOOT! HELLEVATOR to AJ! 1…2…Sting breaks it! Scorpion Deathdrop on Morgan! 1…2…Angle breaks it! Yeah, this works. Whip by Angle, Sting avoids the charge and gets a single leg! Scorpion Deathlock half-applied…ANKLE LOCK! Angle drags him to the middle of the ring! CARBON FOOTPRINT on Angle! Sting low-bridges Morgan and Angle is out! Sting and AJ lock eyes and Sting goes over the top into Morgan! AJ HITS THE SPRINGBOARD 450!! 1…2…3!!!!!!!!!!

Winner: AJ Styles via pinfall (on Angle, springboard 450)
Rating: **** I don’t get or like the cashing in, this is the second time Hernandez cashed in without being in the ring when the bell rang. I wonder if they’ll give him back his case again. Regardless, the match that followed was excellent, maybe a little over-rated at 4 flakes but I thought it flowed very well and told the right story, especially with Morgan booting Angle and Sting stepping aside for AJ…as long as Sting doesn’t win AGAIN at BFG.

Daniels hits the ring to celebrate with AJ as confetti falls. This. Is. Awkward. The ring fills up with fans as AJ celebrates.

A very hit-or-miss show. Almost literally, as half the matches are worth looking for and half could have been left off the card and nobody would have cared. TNA continues to do wonders in terms of production, and the match quality is delivering in most cases, but the questionable booking decisions remain. AJ as champ into Bound For Glory tends to suggest a loss and Hernandez getting his case back and cashing in, otherwise I don’t get why his win didn’t wait until BFG. At least I didn’t feel like I wasted my Sunday night!