The Furious Flashbacks – TNA Against All Odds 2009

The Furious Flashbacks – TNA Against All Odds 2009

Against all odds TNA books a PPV without Joe or AJ in the middle of a feud where Joe and AJ battle the Main Event Mafia

Coming off Genesis TNA had a few interesting angles going on. The whole Cactus Jack revival, Sting’s heavy burden of being a heel world champion and Kurt Angle’s aim to take down TNA one brick at a time (beating Abyss & Jeff Jarrett in the process). On this show Foley is reduced to a spectators role and Angle fights Sting as TNA blow their long-term booking wad after 2 months. However not all of that was resulting in good in-ring performances. One angle that did was the X division title tournament; headlined by Shelley Vs Sabin in the finals. After a great final match Shelley now begins his reign as X division champion.

February 8th 2009.

We’re in Orlando, Florida at the Impact Zone.

EARLIER we see the Main Event Mafia arriving. No Sting! Team 3D arrive together. They’re both in the world title match tonight. Finally Sting arrives solo. The seeds are there for a MEM split. Although that’s incredibly frustrating as Joe and AJ have gotten nothing back as yet. Its almost as if TNA is giving up on its original concept and instead pitching the same old, same old (heel Angle Vs face Sting; I think I’ve seen that somewhere). Worryingly the commentators pitch that the fans are desperate to see Angle-Sting during the main event. “Logical long term booking” is a phrase not frequently used in TNA.

X division title – Alex Shelley (c) v Eric Young

I know TNA are big on EY but I would debate the importance of this match. Is EY good enough to get an X title shot on PPV? Again? The idea behind putting the belt on Shelley was surely to improve the in-ring product in the X division after months of lousy Bashir matches. Some of them against EY. Either that or it’s a flat out challenge to Baby Bear; can he get a good match out of Eric Young? Shelley, rather typically, tries to turn the crowd against him by acting like a jerk and FAILS. Sometimes when you’re so good as an in-ring performer its hard to turn a crowd. Look at Kurt Angle in the WWE. He couldn’t get the crowd to boo him. He even threatened to anklelock Jesus! That’s the same vibe I get here. Shelley is more inventive, more skilful and quicker. Young’s attempts to block stuff and make it into an exciting technical bout looks clumsy at best. Shelley changes tack though, which shows you how smart he is, and takes his offence down a touch so this doesn’t look as uneven. But that’s the thing; ideally you want someone as capable as Shelley so it’s a CHALLENGE for the champion. Young isn’t a challenge to Shelley’s skills. A fine example being a slow motion discus lariat from EY. Shelley just stands there and takes it. You know he’d duck that if anyone else threw it. It was too slow. In fact most of the match sees Shelley waiting for Young’s spots. Just because he can do a moonsault and a few other flying moves doesn’t mean he’s good enough to be in this. And that’s a major problem in TNA booking. They feel they have to push Eric because he’s over but that doesn’t mean they have to push him against one of their best in-ring guys. This isn’t a bad match because Shelley is game for walking EY through some pre-planned counters but as far as Shelley matches go; this is way down the bottom in terms of excitement and skill. Even their big spots like a bulldog counter off the top are done nice and slowly so Eric can keep up. Compare that to Shelley-Sabin, which had sick spots and did them at a frenetic pace. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not even a big Alex Shelley mark or anything. I hate his character and I’m begging TNA to put someone in there against him that I can route for! Even the ending of this one sucks. Young gets talking to the ref and Shelley rolls him up. Thus making Shelley look pretty useless as a champion because he couldn’t even counter EY into a pin without ‘help’ at the finish. **. It wasn’t a technical disaster but I’d question throwing Young into these X division matches when his style doesn’t suit. Especially to open the show. And have no kind of good finish. Its just stupid.

BACKSTAGE JB gets words with Angle. He explains why Sting arrived separately. Its because they’re both winners and it doesn’t matter who takes the belt home. He’s intending on pushing Sting to ensure they retain. If this wasn’t blatantly leading to a Sting face turn it’d be quite interesting.

Scott Steiner v Petey Williams

Steiner used to be Petey’s mentor but turned on him at the insistence of the Main Event Mafia. I’m glad they finally remembered this angle but I doubt they’ll give it the series of matches it will need to get Petey truly over (this is the second, I think). Because he needs to beat Steiner but he won’t in their first major match. This match has to be a learning curve. Steiner has come to terms with his deteriorated body and goes for a systematic dissection of Maple Leaf Muscle. Unfortunately while Steiner being slow does allow Petey to get offence in his selling is only sporadically useful. Ideally they’d have just given Steiner 90% of the match. I definitely hear a “same old shit” chant as Steiner does the elbow drop into the push-ups. There’s a very clear “Steiner’s boring” chant that follows. Hey, if Orlando doesn’t like you, nobody will. And the crowd is right. Steiner IS boring. I know there’s the whole business of a superior wrestler dominating a small guy but Steiner is beyond methodical. He does work in a belly to belly off the top and his Rolling White Thunder but everything else is filler. Clubberin’ mostly. Petey isn’t great when he’s not got a talented wrestler to work off either. So while this isn’t actively bad, because its not, its really not interesting like it could be. Petey only has one game plan; jump off the ropes. That’s it. Steiner has one game plan; wear him down without using much effort. It’s a pity because they had a storyline coming into this and it just doesn’t have the intensity to match it. Almost every spot leaves me deflated. Even when Petey goes to slingshot rana Steiner on the floor but Steiner counters into a powerbomb…he doesn’t get it right. Instead of being a OOOOOHHHH spot it ends up being a ‘meh’. As if to apologise for everything that preceded it Steiner breaks out the STEINER SCREWDRIVER to finish! *1/2. It went on too long without really achieving anything. The finish was cool though. I always loved that move.

POST MATCH Steiner beats Petey up some more and gets interrupted by SAMOA JOE! Or rather he’s on the Tron promising his “Nation of Violence” as he aims to destroy the MEM one at a time. Steiner is first. Which means they probably intend to do it as a match, which doesn’t need to be the case. It puts way too much stock in Steiner and delays the inevitable Joe Vs Nash match that has an actual pay-off.

BACKSTAGE JB has Sting and Mick Foley. The latter says he hopes Angle doesn’t win because he hates him. Sting defends the Mafia so Foley points out he digs Angle the wrestler but not the person and wishes Sting the best of luck.

Brutus Magnus v Chris Sabin

I guess when TNA heard Brutus was a Gladiator they took it literally based on his ring attire. Seeing as he has experience of cutting live promos (on a prime-time TV show no less) Magnus is strong on the mic. Like REALLY strong. But Magnus isn’t all mouth like say Hade Vansen and actually has the skills to back it up. Mainly because he worked All Star for so long so he has those British reversals like Doug Williams. Unfortunately for Sabin this match only exists to put Magnus over. His power, his technical ability and his offensive strength. It’s a typical WCW mistake. They bring a guy in with the intention of pushing him regardless of what the crowd think and instead of getting a nice slow burn on the angle they just feed him a talented guy like Sabin right away for a straight out job match. Which does little for the X division and Magnus’ long term career. Crowd chants “fire Russo” and, I can’t believe I’m typing this for an Orlando crowd, “boring”. Philly, sure, because they’re all assholes (in a nice way) but Orlando? They love everything! That’s why TNA do all their shows there. Tormentum finishes for Magnus. *. Essentially an extended squash, which is a little strange because Sabin is literally one of their best X division wrestlers. Why use him as jobber fodder? I guess it puts Magnus over but it’s Sabin! Come on! Wasn’t Rave or Sonjay or Bashir available to job?

BACKSTAGE Team 3D point out that Angle & Sting should be concerned about them as they’re the greatest tag team in the business (I think he meant to say ‘were’). Bubba seems to think this match will lead to a series of main event singles matches for him and his ‘brother’. Suuuuurrre. Go and ask Billy Gunn how his singles push worked out.

Knockouts title – Awesome Kong (c) w/KONGtourage v ODB

ODB won this title shot after Christy Hemme got injured. TNA didn’t particularly want to do this but figured ODB is the most over of their other talent. Cornette has warned the KONGtourage against interfering in this match. Whatever that means. Just ban them from ringside. Cornette arrives to kick them all out or he’ll give ODB the title. See, why didn’t they just ban them in the first place? Then the crowd knows ODB gets a fair shot. Well, as fair as you get against Kong. TNA doesn’t always book Kong to be completely dominant (even though she kills bitches dead). Here ODB tries to go toe to toe, which shows her guts and where her main strengths lie. I like that they work in the bodyslam spot ala Hogan-Andre. Kong’s selling of it works. But then she gets all pissed off and just destroys ODB with the Impact Buster. *1/2. Yet another display of how Kong just dominates this division. ODB is the strongest of the potential challengers and she got squished.

BACKSTAGE Team 3D find Sting. Bubba thinks that Sting ain’t so bad. Not at heart. And yet he still hasn’t done the right thing and walked away from the Main Event Mafia. Bubba says there’s big difference between ego and respect. Bubba tells Sting if he feels the urge to switch back face they’ve got his back.

Legends title – Booker T (c) w/Sharmell v Shane Sewell

This may be the most pointless match on the card. The title is pointless. Sewell is failing as a face. The crowd liked him standing up to Bashir but now he’s wrestling Booker it feels forced. Neither guy really captures my imagination. Sewell’s angle doesn’t interest me and Booker hasn’t been great since his TNA debut. He’s been coasting through matches and feuds. Sharmell pretty much saved his feud with Robert Roode! Booker sleepwalks through this one too. Sewell is too inexperienced and naïve to change the pace. His brief comeback is cut off by Sharmell and Booker finishes with the Axe Kick. ¼*. Another squash, which makes three on this show? In fact every match has been one-sided (although Steiner-Petey, not enough for my liking) apart from the opener and that was only a serious contest because of Shelley’s efforts to get EY over.

POST MATCH AJ Styles makes his return after missing a month thanks to the MEM. Which rather begs the question; why not just do this match? Instead we have to wait until Destination X for it. Booker T’s facial reactions aside there’s nothing much to get excited about here. AJ cuts a lengthy promo about how he wants the Legends title. With exciting challengers like Shane Sewell it’s the title everyone’s talking about!

BACKSTAGE Matt Morgan gets all angry about his recent staph infection and how Abyss is “half retarded” and cost him the tag titles. He threatens to lay out Interview Girl too. Just for good measure.

Abyss v Matt Morgan

They used to be a tag team but couldn’t get along and Morgan turned heel. I don’t see why one of them HAD to turn heel. Its all so…conventional. Crowd would have sided with Abyss anyway but I like the idea of TNA being a bit unpredictable. After all that’s practically the only reason for having Russo around. I appreciate Morgan manning up to take part in this one but because he’s recently had surgery he doesn’t look like the same guy. He looks hurt. He’s extra careful and moves a lot slower than usual. Can’t say I blame him. They opt for giving the crowd something different and brawl out into the audience. Abyss keeps getting distracted with the possibility of using garbage and gets caught with the Carbon Footprint. I know Morgan is a genetic freak and he should be amazing given his size and agility but I find him really dull. Not just in this match but in every match. Abyss is only as good as his dance partner so this match pretty much blows. A fit Morgan and a no DQ match would probably be a different story. Abyss is even gentle when he attacks Morgan as he clearly wants to protect that shoulder injury. Which is the opposite of what should logically happen. If someone is injured you attack the injury. Unless it’s a SHOOT then you can’t attack the injury. That’s like saying; this injury is real but the one to Creed in the next match isn’t. The only explanation is that Abyss doesn’t want to hurt his former partner BUT the whole match teases Abyss using plunder, which is contrary to that storyline. “I don’t want to use an armbar because it might hurt so I’ll slam him on some thumbtacks instead”. So we spend the whole match waiting for the inevitable ref bump. Abyss gets stupid as Morgan slowly moves a chair into his groin and Abyss jumps anyway. Abyss then has the temerity to kick out of a chokeslam on a chair. I think they were shooting for an epic match but nobody really cared until the ref bump. Speaking of which Morgan pulls Rudy Charles in the way of a chair shot and that is one of the best ref bumps, ever. He tagged him with it. Black Hole Slam and Slick Johnson is here…2 count. Morgan runs into another sloppy Black Hole Slam and Abyss takes the win. *1/2. Not to be critical of Matt Morgan who manned up after serious surgery to do this match but surely TNA knew the injury would limit his mobility. It’d hurt the match. They should have cut the time right back and had a 10 minute match at the most. This actually ran 15 minutes and it dragged like hell.

BACKSTAGE with the MEM and Booker is all pissed off about losing his $14k Legends belt. What a waste-a-money! Angle tells Sting that Bubba doesn’t give a shit about him and this is about family; the MEM. Sting & Angle hug it out but Angle wants Nash to keep tabs on the champ.

Tag titles – Beer Money (c) v Lethal Consequences

Lethal Consequences entrance music sounds familiar…

Beer Money is rocking a bigger Boozer Cruiser! Without Abyss/Morgan this stands a chance of being much better than last month. Creed is a little off the pace in the early going courtesy of his bad shoulder. The challengers bring speed and that’s something Beer Money aren’t great at defending against. Beer Money work in the comedy sex spots this time without Jacqui. The best bit actually being when Storm bails to wash the taste of balls out of his mouth with beer, Roode wants some beer too and when he swigs Storm pushes him and Roode spits beer in Storm’s face. COMEDY! Beer Money come back into it using their teaming. Blind tags and double team moves shows the difference between two guys with similar offence (Lethal Consequences) and two guys who work as a unit (Beer Money). Beer Money are champions because they’re the best team in the company. Only the Machineguns can rival them and Shelley has other business right now. Beer Money only seem to get into trouble when their quick tags result in them being used against each other, which is where all the comedy sex spots come from. You know what the best thing about Beer Money is? Storm is caught in a pin and he doesn’t kick out because he KNOWS Roode will break the fall. Why waste your energy when your partner is that good. They know each other’s game. The timing and skill involved in being a great tag team is entirely evidence in Beer Money. I know every time they have a match its like I’m writing a love letter to them but they are that good. Lethal is clearly the better wrestler on his team and when he gets a hot tag this is very evident. His flippy spots make sense with him using flips to avoid offence and his straightforward spots to actually lay Beer Money out. Jacqui runs in to take a backdrop. She’s always game for taking a tidy bump. But when she gets involved it allows Storm to use a chain to load up his punch and knock Lethal out. Roode gets the pin. ***. Perfectly competent tag team wrestling throughout. Beer Money were their usual efficient selves while Lethal Consequences provided brief moments of excitement in challenging. It’s the best match of the night. Which is a little tragic when you consider how paint by numbers it was at times. But then it didn’t have to do much to steal the show. And it didn’t. No point busting your ass on a show no one else gives a shit about.

TNA title – Sting (c) v Kurt Angle v Brother Ray v Brother Devon

With AJ & Joe left off this show to sell the MEM beatings we’re left with Team 3D, as singles wrestlers, challenging for the title. Angle is thrown into the mix to sell the potential dissension in the MEM although its more like dissention between Sting & Angle. Foley joins the commentary team. Tenay tries to sell this as having a ‘big match feel’. It really doesn’t. To begin with this is Dudleys Vs MEM. Naturally Team 3D get the better of that because they’re an actual tag team and not only that but a hugely experienced and successful team. Team 3D go for the Outlaw Rule with Bubba lying down and letting Devon get a pin. Angle does NOT like that. Crowd chants “E-C-Dub”. You’ll regret that! The MEM bail out and let Team 3D fight. I like that they’re evenly matched but the pacing is so, so slow. MEM come back into it and they all brawl around ringside for a bit. That’s what happens when you chant for ECW. Team 3D both get caught in submission holds, which leads to issues between Angle & Sting. Which is the difference between factions. Team 3D is unlikely to ever have those issues. Angle is busted hardway right over his eye and 3D go for double submissions too and Angle pins Sting…for 2. That was sneaky. Angle is able to reverse out of his submission hold while Sting needs Angle to save him. Interesting. Angle may say ‘as long as the belt stays in the MEM’ but what he means is ‘I want that title’. He seems to think he doesn’t need Sting’s help, as was evident in the last sequence, and goes after his knee to take him out. With 3D knocking around there really isn’t time for a submission attempt though. Everyone spills in and we get some near falls. Sting actually saves Angle from the Doomsday Device pin and then stops the 3D himself. It seems Sting has grown into this match. In the midst of the chaos Sting catches Bubba unprotected and Scorpion Deathdrops him for the win. **1/2. It wasn’t bad or anything but it was certainly underwhelming for a PPV main event. I actually enjoyed the Dudley’s involvement but not enough for it to merit going on last. This was a chance for TNA to segue the belt onto Angle without jobbing out Sting but opted not to do that. Which is odd because Sting was pretty beaten up at this point.

POST MATCH Mick Foley respectfully hands Sting the title belt. You know where they’re going with this. I find it hard to believe but hey, this is TNA!

The 411: Worrying. On paper the card isn’t great but in reality it worked out even worse. There’s no reason for buying this show at all. Sting retains, the MEM storyline isn’t advanced, Beer Money retain, Abyss didn’t get to do anything violent because Morgan was injured, Kong retained, Shelley retained and there were no great matches. A complete waste of 3 hours! And they made you pay for it.
Final Score:  4.5   [ Poor ]