Ring Crew Reviews: TNA Final Resolution 2009

• Scheduled Card:
1. TNA World Tag Team Championship: Motor City Machine Guns vs. British Invasion (c).
2. TNA Knockouts Championship: Tara vs. ODB (c).
3. Feast or Fired: Black Machismo vs. Consequences Creed vs. Cody Deaner vs. Bobby Roode vs. James Storm vs. Kevin Nash vs. Homicide vs. Eric Young vs. Rob Terry vs. Kiyoshi vs. Samoa Joe vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir.
4. 8 Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Team 3D, Jesse Neal and Rhyno vs. Hernandez, Matt Morgan, Pope, and Suicide.
5. Last Man Standing: Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley.
6. Tag Team Grudge Match: Raven and Dr. Stevie vs. Mick Foley and Abyss.
7. Three Degrees of Pain: Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle.
8. World Heavyweight Championship: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles (c).

• Video package is some gothic Christmas music remix over TNA highlights. We even have green and red ropes in the ring to get in the festive holiday spirit.

• TNA World Tag Team Championship: Motor City Machine Guns vs. British Invasion (c). Doug and Sabin to start. Sabin tries neck bridging up to avoid a wristlock so Doug pulls him down by the hair to teach him some manners. Sabin escapes out and tags in Shelley. Doug now escapes out of an wristlock to show he can do that “spiny, flippy shit” too and tags in Brutus. Brutus grabs a headlock but it’s Shelley’s turn to take him around and switch. Brutus tries a charge in the corner but Shelley gets the boot up. They nicely counter some moves until Shelley tries chopping him down with some kicks. Sabin tagged in and the Guns go to some double teaming and lower the bridge on Magnus and spill both out. The Guns follow out with stereo double jump planchas on both. Great stuff in here. Back in, Magnus with a drop toe hold on Shelley and distracts the ref so Doug can waffle him with a running knee. Doug tags in now and goes to the headscissors and rams Shelley’s head into the mat a few times. Doug covers for only a 1 count. Shelley tries some stuff and Doug gets him in an inverted Gory Special and just rams him into the turnbuckle. Doug taunts to big boos but Shelley comes back with a high crossbody for 2. Doug drops a few ax handles and tags in Brutus for the double straitjacket TD. Brutus covers but Sabin breaks it up. Doug in as the crowd chants for the Guns. Doug goes back to the straitjacket submission. Shelley counters to his own and drops down into a Backcracker. The ref is distracted by the double KO so Brutus runs around and trips up Sabin to prevent the tag. Nice. Brutus in with the MasterLock on Shelley. Shelley elbows out and tries another crossbody but Magnus catches him in the World’s Strongest Slam. He tries a VaderBomb but Shelley gets up the knees. Both make tags and Sabin cleans house. He rolls through on a sunset flip from Doug and hits a couple of DR FG on both. Sabin springboards in with a floatover DDT and covers for a nearfall on Doug. Brutus in but Sabin trips him up and tags in Shelley. Shelley with a “thrust” kick off the top and gives Magnus a Flatliner into the turnbuckle. Doug tries something from the apron but Sabin breaks that up and follows out with a suicide burrito through the ropes held open by Shelley. Meanwhile, Shelley ducks a clothesline and hits a superkick and Sliced Bread 2. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Crowd was SUPER into that false finish. Shelley heads up top again and tries the Double Foot Stomp but Magnus avoids. Doug hits a T-Bone suplex on Shelley. Sabin takes him down with an enzuigiri and Magnus takes HIM down with a shitty-looking DVD. Shelley and Magnus slug it out and Magnus easily wins that one. Magnus goes for a big boot but Shelley moves and Williams eats it. Shelley makes the tag to Sabin who hits an enzuigiri on Magnus. They hit the missile dropkick/Flatliner combo on Magnus. They hit the double superkick combo but Doug breaks up the pin! Doug tries Chaos Theory but Sabin hangs on and instead hits the Diamond Cutter on Doug. Another pair of kicks on Magnus and a neckbreaker/crossbody combo. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.99! These are some nice nearfalls. The Guns prep a Doomsday Device but instead Doug breaks it up and the Brits hit the powerbomb/super Euro uppercut combo for the 3 to retain at 11:55. Finish deflated the crowd a tad but that was a hot, hot, HOT match. Normally, the MCMG don’t quite click for me (even if they are fantastic) but this was great stuff. Flawless combos, but the real clincher for me was the very effective, old school stuff from the British Invasion as opposed to the usual lazy nonsense from a lot of tag teams. Just good stuff all around. ***1/2

• TNA Knockouts Championship: Tara vs. ODB (c). This was set up by Tara beating Kong in the cage match last month and then winning a battle royal to get the shot. ODB stalls like hell before the hell before finally trying to a cheap shot but Tara catches the kick and gives her a receipt. Taz: “You see what ODB’s doing right here trying to ‘flustrate’ – frustrate Tara by taking her time, getting in the ring, talking trash.” Tenay: “I’ve always liked the word ‘flustrate.’” Taz: “’Flustrate’? Did I say that?” Tenay: “No. I sort of like that word. It’s almost frustration and fluster at the same time.” Meanwhile, ODB misses a charge and Tara hooks in the Tarantula. Tara slingshots in with the frontflip leg drop. Tara almost drops ODB on a powerbomb attempt until she slides out. Tara comically blocks a punch and smacks ODB. ODB avoids a charge and botches the throw into the ringpost by just blasting Tara into the turnbuckle. ODB with a shoulderbreaker for 2. ODB teases the Bronco Buster and instead just boots her and follow it up with the BLATANTCHOKE. ODB with an ugly reverse DDT and then does this quasi-erotic taunt by flapping the frontal crotch area of her “skirt” at Tara. That must be how they mate on her planet. ODB with a snap ab suplex and then grabs her own boobs to taunt. She covers for 2 and then checks her pulse(?). Tara with a double leg and rolls her up for 2. Tara tries fighting her away with shots but ODB kicks her down and grabs her stuff to taunt again. Taz: “She’s obsessed with her… PECTORAL REGION.” Tara sidesteps a crossbody or some shit and smacks her some more. ODB bumps on some smacks and then almost gets killed on a flapjack where Tara doesn’t get her up high enough. Tara with a nice snap suplex but then botches the bridge as far as I can tell. Tara with the standing moonsault for 2. ODB tries a fireman’s carry but Tara slides out and rolls her up for the 3 at 5:42. They brought some intensity and Tara’s win has some nice build after the previous victory over the unstoppable Kong last month, but too sloppy overall. *3/4

• Meanwhile, we get a commercial for Hogan appearing on Impact.

• Feast or Fired: Black Machismo vs. Consequences Creed vs. Cody Deaner vs. Bobby Roode vs. James Storm vs. Kevin Nash vs. Homicide vs. Eric Young vs. Rob Terry vs. Kiyoshi vs. Samoa Joe vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir. Taz talks about how the deck is stacked because half of the participants are in World Elite. EY tells his boys to keep Beer Money away from the cases. Big brawl to start with Nash and Storm pairing off. Rob Terry and Roode. EY sends Joe into the ringpost. Machismo tries to climb already but Kiyoshi pulls him down. Creed and Homicide brawl in the ring with Creed going to the eyes. Deaner tries to climb but Daiviri pulls him down. Deaner goes to the BLATANTCHOKE. He tries to climb up again but Daiviri crotches him. The paired off brawling goes on for a while. Creed boots Daviri to the floor. Lethal Consequences team up on Kiyoshi and then Homicide with the Camel Clutch/IED combo. Creed climbs up now but Daiviri is back in to stop that. Deaner smashes Creed into the post and goes back after a case. Deaner and Sheik get it at the same time but both drop it and then both get it at the same time. Daiviri pulls it away and waffles him to get the first case at 4:53. Rob Terry grabs another and pulls it down at 4:58. EY is pissed at Terry for grabbing one and so is Nash. DISSENSION IN WORLD ELITE@!~! Beer Money breaks up the part and clears the ring. Storm tries a Codebreaker on Nash but Nash can’t manage to get down that low to sell it. Roode follows up with a sorta Blockbuster. They hit a double suplex on EY and pose to cheers. Then they hit the combo uranage on Kiyoshi. Homicide jumps off the top into an atomic drop and then gets catapulted into a DDT from Storm. Roode goes for a briefcase but Nash crotches him and grabs it instead at 7:15. Lethal slides in Joe but Joe fights off Jay only to get bulldogged by Creed. Roode with a spinebuster but EY catches him with a piledriver. Storm hits him with a superkick but eats a Flatliner from Kiyoshi. Lethal heads up but Homicide bites his ear and gives him a SUPER DIAMOND CUTTER OFF THE TOP! Deaner climbs up top but Joe enzuigiris him off the top and grabs the last one to end it at 9:19. A twelve man briefcase on a poll match that lasts sub-10 minutes. Little semblance of story of memorable spots. Not terrible but it could definitely be better. **1/4

• Meanwhile, Hemme is in the back with Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. Kurt says DW has his head up his ass thinking he’ll end Kurt’s career. You see, Wolfe is definitely one of the best he’s ever stepped in the ring with and he’s a smart, talented, devious bastard but Kurt’s a smarter, more talented, more devious bastard. Kurt says he’ll win because he has unfinished business. AJ says that’s real subtle and that, yes, Kurt will get his shot but not before AJ retains over Daniels and then AJ WILL take care of some “unfinished business.”

• Now, JB and SoCal Val are here to reveal the briefcases. Nash is up first. JB references his “storied TNA career” that could end but luckily (unluckily?), Nash wins the tag title shot. JB: “I’m sure celebration is in order tonight for Kevin Nash.” Joe wins the world title shot much to the crowd’s delight. Sheik and Terry are last. Rob wins the X-Division title shot and Daiviri gets sent to join Mohammed Hassan. Taz: “Listen, this is not part of the show. We just witnessed the real deal: Sheik Abdul Bashir losing his job here with TNA.”

• 8 Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Team 3D, Jesse Neal and Rhyno vs. Hernandez, Matt Morgan, Pope, and Suicide. If Hernandez gets beat in the first 5 minutes, the match is over. Bubba directs traffic and tells Rhyno to start with Hernandez. Rhyno pounds him down but Hernandez gets the boot up in the corner. Rhyno sends him into the turnbuckle and tags in D-Von. D-Von tries nothing an eats a slingshot shoulderblock from Hernandez. That brings in the other heels and Hernandez clears them out. Now, it’s Jesse Neal’s turn but D-Von waffles him from behind. D-Von chokes away and brings Rhyno back in for nothing. Bubba in with the overhand chops. Hernandez shakes it off but Bubba botches GIVING HIM A KNEE TO THE HEAD. Yes, that’s right. Bubba compensates by booting him around and giving him a clothesline. Rhyno back in. Hernanez tries a Stinger Splash but Rhyno avoids and gives him a belly to belly. Rhyno hits the GORE. Cover gets only 2 but the kickout doesn’t really get a pop. Rhyno tries another but Hernandez avoids and rolls him up and Rhyno’s out at 4:05.

• The rest of the heels put the boots to Hernandez. Jesse gets a chair and the ref warns him about a DQ. 3D scares him out of the ring but before Jesse can do anything, 5 minutes is up and the other faces come running out. The faces clear the ring and Hernandez follows out with the SUPER MEX PLANCHA! Suicide and Jesse are the legal men. Suicide with a pop up basement dropkick for 2 in the corner. Suicide with the Finlay Roll and a guillotine legdrop for 2. Suicide avoids a backdrop attempt and dropkicks Neal down for 2. Neal goes to the Muay Thai knees. Suicide avoids a charge in the corner but Jesse waffles him with the chair IN FRONT OF THE REF. Ref doesn’t DQ him for whatever reason but Hernandez destroys him with the Pounce and a BRUTALLLLL chairshot! Of course, Slick DQ’s him instead at 8:22.

• The Dudleys promptly hit a 3D on Suicide and he’s gone at 9:01.

• Pope in next and he runs into a boot and looks like Jesse Neal is out via KO or at the least incapacitated. Pope with a series of rights and shoulderblocks on Bubba. He covers but only for 2. Taz now randomly drops in that Jesse Neal WAS DQ’ed which didn’t happen at all and just seems confusing as hell. Bubba tries the Dusty elbow but Pope fights back with elbows and smacks of his own. He sets up Bubba in the ropes for the Bossman attack and a shoulderblock off the top for 2. D-Von tags in but Bubba stays in illegally and they hit a 3D and eliminate Pope at 11:15. More lazy cheating right in front of the ref. Taz: “No gray area there. That was nasty.”

• Morgan is by himself against both Dudleyz. They rush him into the corner and work him over. There is ZERO attempt from Slick to clear this up. They pound him down but Morgan comes back with a clothesline. CLEAR THE RING, ASSHOLE! Still nothing from the ref as Morgan hits a couple of Ho Trains and his elbow rampage in the corner. He goes for a ChokeSlam but D-Von clips the knee from behind. D-Von chokes as Bubba shows off with one of his belts. They BOTH choke him. This is trash. This goes on forever before Morgan hits a clothesline and the Carbon Footprint on D-Von. He covers and D-Von stays down but the ref stops at 2 even though the shoulder doesn’t come up. The ref then changes his mind and tells D-Von he’s out anyway at 14:58. Fucker.

• Bubba smacks around Morgan and then pokes him in the eye. Bubba with a clothesline and tries a splash but Morgan slides out of the way. Morgan tries a Helivator but Bubba counters to a wretched DDT. Bubba gets a chair but Morgan pump kicks it back into his face for the 3 to win it at 16:34. Man, what the hell? The match had no flow from the start as even the initial heat on Hernandez was crap and only got worse once the ref started screwing up the works and letting the heels do whatever the hell they wanted with zero repercussions and for 17 minutes, that’s DREADFUL. *

• Meanwhile, we get a preview of Raven/Dr. Stevie vs. Foley/Abyss even though that isn’t until later.

• Last Man Standing: Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley. So Steiner feels like Lashley’s wife has the hots for him. Last month, Steiner won a street fight clean but was still a dick so hence the return match. Steiner’s got a pipe with him that he used to waffle Lashley last month. The ref makes Lashley’s wife head to the back before the match starts and Lashley doesn’t like that call. Steiner follows her up the ramp and uses the distraction to blast Lashley and send him into the guardrail. SHADDUP! Steiner chokes Lashley with a cable and sends him into the guardrail again. Lashley comes back with a T-Bone suplex. Lashley with some shots in the corner and a Spear into the turnbuckle. Lashley hits another and gives Steiner a gutbuster. Lashley goes to a dragon sleeper and Steiner appears to be out. Count gets to 6 before Steiner recovers only to get shitcanned over the top. Lashley now sends him into the guardrail and gets a chair. Lashley with more of those chairshots that make even Lance Storm pity him. Steiner comes back with a conveniently placed pipe on the stage. Lashley up at 7 before Steiner waffles him again. Steiner now sends Lashley into the ringpost and the stairs gingerly. For 2 hosses, this is just some weak brawling that has no intensity. Steiner puts Lashley up top and gives him a Flatliner on the way down. Count gets to 8 before Lashley recovers. Up top again and Steiner gives him a belly to belly suplex off the top. Taz: “Classic, some would say vintage Steiner.” Did Taz just reference Michael Cole? Why would anyone ever do that? Steiner tries the BIG BAD BOOTY DADDY SICKLE off the top but Lashley catches him in a suplex. Lashley with a Bulldog powerslam. Steiner recovers at 9 and low blows Lashley. Taz attributes that to his “big match experience.” Steiner now hits a much better Frankensteiner than last month. Crowd pops for that one. Lashley up at 8. Steiner avoids a cameraman and gets his pipe. Steiner: “YOUDUMSONUVABITCH!” Lashley’s wife steals the pipe and tosses it to her husband. Lashley with a Spear and waffles Steiner with the pipe and wins it at 9:15. Just like last month, a slow, plodding, suplex-heavy bore that was undeserving of a LSM moniker. You’d figure the stips would help but not really. Just not a lot of chemistry between these guys. Goldberg-Steiner had much better power matches than these. *1/4

• Tag Team Grudge Match: Raven and Dr. Stevie vs. Mick Foley and Abyss. Rather than play the hype video again, Taz and Tenay give us the background which involved setting various parts of Abyss’s body on fire. Raven and Stevie bring some weapons and Tenay wonders what the hell is going on. Foley gets on the stick and, by the power invested in him by TNA or some shit, he changes the match to a “Foley’s Funhouse Rules Match.”

• Tag Team Grudge Match Foley’s Funhouse Rules Match Tag Team Grudge Match: Raven and Dr. Stevie vs. Mick Foley and Abyss. Abyss boots Stevie to start and Foley dodges a kendo stick shot and gives Raven one instead and another to Stevie. BANG BANG! Abyss stacks the heels up in the corner and then Foley whips Abyss into the corner for the Ho Train. Foley follows with the testicular charge. Abyss hangs Stevie in the Tree of Woe for a Foley elbow. Foley beats Raven up the aisle and to the back. Stevie avoids an Abyss charge but then whiffs himself on a Bronco Buster attempt. Abyss with a clothesline for 2. Stevie rolls to the floor and tries to escape to the back but Abyss sends him into the guardrail and the stage a few times. Abyss sets up a table as Stevie makes his way to the announce table and begs Tenay for help. Abyss preps a powerbomb off the stage but Raven reappears and waffles him with the kendo stick. Raven chokes Abyss and then bites his leg wound. No sign of Foley who apparently got lost backstage on his way to the ring, Spinal Tap-style. Raven springboards off the stairs with a weak burrito on Abyss and then bites the wound again. Stevie gives him a chairshot on the arm. Raven gets a gas can but Foley is back and CRANKED TO ELEVEN! He’s got a shopping cart and rams it into Raven to cut him off. Foley uses the cookie sheet to effect and he’s got Barbie and gives Stevie a shot to the back and Raven one to the stomach and back. Foley with a spike piledriver on Raven and a double arm DDT on Stevie. Foley doesn’t go for the cover. Instead, he stacks both up and Abyss gives them a running Bonzai drop. Foley pulls out Socko. Raven TRIES to throw chalk in his eyes but botches it and misses by a foot. Foley sells it anyway and falls down in a heap. A few smarts chant for Mr. Fuji. Raven goes for a Mandible Claw on Foley. Now, Foley no sells the chalk because ya know, unlike Tony Montana, his face isn’t covered in white stuff. Stevie waffles Foley from behind but Abyss breaks that up. Abyss with a Shock Treatment on Stevie and a leg drop on Raven. That was kinda cool. Abyss covers for 2. Foley and Abyss both now pull out different Sockos. STEREO MANDIBLE CLAWS! Stevie sells it to the floor but Raven counters to the Evenflow. Abyss kicks out at 2. Foley meanwhile wraps Stevie in barbwire and puts him on a table. Foley gives him an elbow off the stage and through the table. Daffney slides in to help Raven and gives Abyss a chairshot. He no sells but Raven interrupts a Shock Treatment attempt. Abyss gives him the Black Hole Slam to win it at 9:32. Eh, this kind of match has been done to death with plenty better variations through the years. Nothing special here especially with that horrible chalk throw by Raven and Foley taking half the match off to hang out backstage. *3/4

• Next, Samoa Joe is in the back with JB. Joe got tonight what he came for: a shot for the world championship. Joe did exactly what he said he was going to do and now the most vicious man in the world has the most unadulterated thing in his hands. This brings up the inevitable question: When? When will he use his shot? Now? After the match tonight? Maybe Janurary 4? These are the questions that JOE will answer and rest assured, when he cashes in, he will walk out the new champion.

• Three Degrees of Pain: Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle. DW attacked Angle in his debut by targeting his neck. Angle won the eventual PPV match the month before this, but DW said it didn’t count because Angle used an illegal choke hold. (Ironic that Angle said the same thing about Taz in Taz’s debut at RR 2000). Plus, DW said Angle didn’t “beat” him because beating someone is torturing them mentally and physically, hence this stip match. This is a two out of three falls match with each taking place in the steel cage – first is pinfall, second is submission, third if necessary is escape. If that’s not complicated enough, if you use the steel cage in one of the first 2 falls, you can get DQ’ed… and lose the pinfall or submission falls…. Right. TO THE MATCH!

• Wolfe teases the test of strength but instead counters to a hammerlock. Angle with a go behind and a takedown. DW switches back to a wristlock and then a half nelson. Angle counters with a single leg and goes to the leg grapevine. DW boots his way free and goes to the Euro cuppercuts. DW hopes back on the half nelson and forces Angle back to the mat. Angle now switches to a hammerlock. Nice matwrestling so far. DW with a snapmare but Angle jumps back on the hammerlock. They go through that again and Angle is back on the hammerlock. Wolfe elbows free and goes Angle the DOUBLE THROAT THRUST! DW with another Euro uppercut and covers for 1. DW continues to work the cover and gets more 1 counts. Wolfe tries a knee drop but Angle avoids and starts booting the leg but Wolfe goes to the eyes. DW with a headlock TD and stays on the lateral presses for 1 counts. DW combines it with an Americana. Angle gets to his feet and tries to send him off but DW STAYS ON THE WRISTLOCK! DW then headlock takes him down again! Sweet. Back to the Americana. This is just a thing of beauty that Angle allows Nigel to hang with him on the mat considering he’s a nobody in TNA. THIS is how you help make a star in the big leagues. Again Angle tries to send him off and again DW uses Kurt’s arm to smack him in the face and take him back down. DW with a head of steam but Kurt with a hiptoss and a snap suplex. Angle boots him in the corner and gives him a BuckleBomb. DW immediately takes back over with the hammerlock TD and Angle is toast again. Wolfe with a headbutt TO THE ARM! Angle tries a sunset flip but Wolfe fights out of it by driving the arm into the mat! Beautiful. Back to the half nelson wristlock from DW. Wolfe tries a short arm clothesline but Kurt comes back with burritos. Angle runs into a boot in the corner but still manages a belly to belly suplex. Angle favoring the arm. He tries an Angle Slam but Wolfe avoids and gives him the HAMMERLOCK DDT! Angle ducks a LARIATO attempt and goes to the Rolling Germans. I don’t think Angle should have a strong waistlock due to selling of the arm but DW doesn’t break it. Angle hits four straight and THEN goes back to favoring the arm. Yeah, that doesn’t really mesh with me. Kurt goes up top but Wolfe waffles him and gives him the Tower of London. Kickout at 2 for Angle. Taz says Angle is going on instinct due to how “gazed over” his eyes were. Angle with a school boy for 2. Wolfe gets the boot up in the corner and sets up another Tower of London. Angle slides out and hits an Angle Slam. Cover gets only 2. These nearfalls are falling kinda flat due to some horrible counting from Earl. Kurt goes for his moonsault but comes up dry. Wolfe with the LARIATO! DW puts him up top. Another Tower of London and Wolfe takes the first fall at 12:41.

• Wolfe immediately jumps back on the arm to start the second fall. Wolfe with the hammerlock/armbar combo but Angle nicely rolls through. Angle hooks in the Figure Four! Earl counts Wolfe’s shoulders on the F4 even though you must win by submission. Wolfe gets the ropes and Angle releases the hold even though YOU MUST WIN BY SUBMISSION! You get the idea. DW back to the flying armbar and then back to the Americana. Angle kips up but Wolfe armdrags him back down and gets back on the hold. Earl continues counting shoulders on the mat for no reason. Angle tries to power Wolfe up but he armdrags Angle back down. Wolfe with some headbutts and goes BACK TO THE ARM! Omoplata variation from DW. This is just exquisite stuff from Nigel. Angle counters to an AnkleLock. Wolfe rolls through to the hammerlock with the legs. Angle rolls through and goes back to the Anklelock. The only inevitable problem I see is that, in terms of volume and quality, Wolfe’s arm work is better than Angle’s leg work but Angle has to win this fall. Wolfe lowers his center of gravity and pulls Angle to the mat an THEN switches BACK TO THE HAMMERLOCK WITH A CRUCIFIX! SWEET! Angle rolls through but Wolfe stays on it and switches to the London Dungeon! Angle boots his way free and goes back to the AnkleLock. Wolfe rolls under and goes to the Anklelock of his own. Angle rolls him through and switches to the “illegal choke” that beat Wolfe last month and Taz completely whiffs on bringing that up. Thankfully, Tenay reminds him. They counter roll throughs and Wolfe goes back to the omoplata variation. This draws a “THIS IS WRESTLING!” chant from the crowd and indeed it is. Wolfe now counters to the same illegal choke that Angle used last month and used a minute ago. THAT NO GOOD BASTARD! Just wonderful in character dick move from Wolfe. Kurt answers the ref check on the FIRST arm drop (why not third?) and rolls Wolfe back into the Anklelock. DW rolls over and tries to kick Angle away. Angle goes to his one trump card and grapevines the leg and Wolfe taps out at 20:03.

• Angle sends Wolfe into the cage to start the third fall. Angle does it again and hits an AngleSlam. Angle tries to climb up but Wolfe recovers and meets him at the top rope. Wolfe RAMS his arm into the cage a few times and gives him a superplex. Wolfe tries to climb out and is heavily favoring the leg. Angle cuts him off and rams the leg into the cage. Wolfe elbows him off the top but Angle recovers with the pop up overhead super bell to belly suplex! Crowd chants for TNA. Wolfe headbutts Angle to the gut but Angle sends him int the cage to counter. Angle with a head of steam and clotheslines Wolfe down. Wolfe blades on the shot into the cage. Angle jumps off the top. Wolfe gets the boot up and kicks Angle’s bad arm but it’s the bad leg(!). Wolfe sells death on his bad leg and Angle sells the arm. Awesome! Wolfe begs the ref to open the door. DW tries to crawl out and rams the door back into Kurt’s head. Wolfe almost crawls out but Angle pulls him back to the middle and grapevines the leg again with another AnkleLock! DW taps out but it’s irrelevant. Kurt stays on the hold a while. Angle releases the hold and rather than head for the door, he tries to climb over the top. Wolfe drags himself desperately toward the door but Angle escapes via over the top to via it at 26:16.

• As his career has gone on, Angle has almost Flair-like in his lack of leg work before going to the submission but I suppose that’s part of becoming a legend. The Figure Four/AnkleLock become so deadly through years of use that they don’t even need any build. Also, while I get that Angle has the legit amateur credentials and is the legend, Nigel is the much better technician. I don’t care if it’s blasphemy. Wolfe’s selling is better, his moveset is better, his psychology is better. I think Angle should have won the first fall and Nigel should have made Kurt tap out in the second fall just based on more awesome psychology, but Angle’s a face and his leg grapevine trumps everything Wolfe did so c’est la vie. I will just add that the second fall is WAY better than Angle/Joe’s MMA fight. ****1/2

• Meanwhile, Foley is in the back and he wants to talk about that “800 pound gorilla, Hulk Hogan.” Foley has questions to ask and Hogan will answer them.

• World Heavyweight Championship: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles (c). Lockup goes nowhere though it’s a fierce one. CD smacks the shit out of him rather than clean break. CD grabs a headlock but AJ brings him into the corner. Slick wants a break but AJ threatens a couple of shots before CD sneaks him by grabbing a wristlock. AJ tries kipping up but CD nicely trips him up to counter. CD: “NEXT WORLD CHAMP!” CD stays on the arm a while. AJ tries to power up but CD stays on the arm so AJ gets the headscissors. CD grapevines the arm and slides out to floatover back into a keylock. Sweet. AJ gets to his feet and trips CD up and goes to a chinlock. CD sends him off but AJ hits the shoulderblock. AJ tries to run over CD but he trips him up and floats into the headlock and back to the arm. Nice unexcepted cutoffs of the norm. CD with some knees to the gut and then flips over and armdrags AJ down again. He sends AJ off but whiffs on a dropkick and AJ stares him down. CD ducks a roundhouse and tries a shitcan but AJ hangs on even though CD doesn’t realize it. AJ tries a springboard in but CD ducks only to run into the Bluechipper dropkick. AJ snapmares him down for the DR FG. CD tries throwing him down but AJ kips up with the anti-Newtonian rana. AJ with a snap suplex. He sends CD off but CD hangs on to the ropes and takes a breather. CD cuts off the angles of a few dive attempts before AJ hits a no hands flip splash. Back in, he hits a slingshot senton and takes him down with a discus clothesline. AJ goes to the chinlock and tries a hiptoss but CD blocks and monkey flips AJ into the turnbuckle. CD clotheslines him off the apron and to the floor. CD sets a couple of chairs up in the aisle and preps a pseudo conchairto that the ref blocks. While he disposes of one chair, CD gives AJ a throat slam on the other chair. Nice. Back in, CD covers for the first 2 count of the match. CD with a sideslam for another 2. We’re now entering the back work portion of the match. CD sends him into the turnbuckle but AJ comes back with a headscissors. AJ tries to head up top but CD clubs him in the back and preps a super back suplex. AJ fights back so instead CD gives him a BACKBREAKAAAAAA on the top turnbuckle. CD covers for 2. AJ fights back with rights but CD knees him to the back and hits an Arabian Press TO THE BACK! CD goes to the crossface as the crowd chants “FALLEN ASSHOLE!” CD tries a Lionsault but lands on his feet. AJ ducks a shot and gives CD a hammerlock back suplex. Double KO spot. AJ with rights and lefts in the corner and a series of forearms on CD. CD backdrops AJ and tosses him to the floor. CD tries his plancha headscissors but AJ counters to the LOW DOWN POWERBOMB ON THE FLOOR! Back in, CD begs off. AJ tells him to fight like a man and stays on the offense. AJ with the FU neckbreaker and the Lionsault reverse DDT for 2. AJ with a head of steam but CD backdrops him and crotches him on the top rope. CD gives him a suplex off the ropes back in for 2. CD puts AJ up top and smacks the shit out of him. CD with a Frankensteiner and a shining wizard for 2. They trade suplex attempts until AJ hits a brainbuster. Double KO spot. AJ springboards in with the flying burrito. He covers but CD gets his feet on the ropes. CD avoids Styles Clash but AJ hits the Pele. AJ tries it again but CD grabs the ropes. AJ with a jumping enzuigiri. He wants a German suplex but CD blocks by grabbing the rope and then poking AJ in the eyes. Nice cheating. CD wants the BME and hits it. Covers for a 2 count. CD is pissed and goes to the GnP. AJ catapults him into the turnbuckle and hits the Styles Clash and covers for the 1, 2, 2.9. AJ heads up top but CD crotches. CD tries a Frankensteiner but AJ blocks and hits the top rope Styles Clash! Cover gets 1, 2, 3 to win it at 21:03. These two are incapable of having a bad match together which almost goes without saying. First 1/3 was manna from heaven for me with perfect chain wrestling, Anderson bodypart work and counters to normally sacrosanct signature moves. Second 1/3 was solid with CD’s back work, even if it was not a continuation of the arm work that he set up in the first section. AJ came back with some neck/head work. Final 1/3 was possibly the weakest with only a couple of strong false finishes in the lot (Daniels’ BME and AJ’s first Styles Clash) and not enough to deliver the EPIC possibilities. Still very good. ****1/4

The 411: Two excellent matches, one very good match, and the rest is trash. Watch the opener, Kurt-Wolfe, AJ-Daniels and skip the rest.
Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]