Mt. Killamanjaro
TNA Genesis Review
That may have been the most over-booked, contrived wrestling PPV I have ever seen. All but TWO matches on the card ended because of some sort of distraction, disqualification, or screwing-over. And one of the "clean" matches was a Monsters Ball, which had no rules! The funny thing is, you normally see screwy booking like this whenever a title changes hands – no title changes tonight. I'm getting really sick of enjoying the weekly product so much, only to slam my head against a wall for each and every PPV!
Well, if this opening hasn't completely turned you off to my review, let's continue to some of the matches, shall we?
(1) X-Division Championship
Austin Aires def. Kash, Ion, & Sorensen to retain
I just want to run down the competitors really quick: Austin Airies is a great ring worker, a believable heel, and has excellent time. By far the favorite of the division, and the only logical choice for champion at the moment. Ion is quickly catching on to the "heel business" but is very rushed, and relies on flips and tricks rather than telling a story int he ring. Kid Kash continues to be, in my opinion, the most over-rated indie star ever. The guy has years of "veteran experience" but hasn't done a single thing of note with it! He lazily walked around this match, missing his timing on every move, and didn't even look remotely excited to be there. He also, as a heel mind you, played to the crowd on multiple occasions… And then there's Sorensen, who has a great "classic" look, and a terrible entrance. I don't want to see a guy come out in a varsity coat, tossing around a football. Go back to high school, or take yourself seriously as a PRO WRESTLER.
Here's the story: Kash gets eliminated. Ion gets eliminated. Ion screws over Sorensen, and forces the win for Aires. Would have been fine if it was the only screw-job on the card… As per usual with this division, too much flash and not enough substance. It doesn't matter how many corkscrews you can add to your flip…you're going to land the same way. Rating: C
(2) D-Von def. "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero
Ladies and gentlemen, the award for "shortest heel run in history" goes to…D-Von's kids! For an angle that has been on-again, off-again for the better part of a year, they sure burned through the finish awful quick! At least we can move on…right? Rating: C-
(3) Gunner def. Rob Van Dam
Huge props to TNA for following through on this Gunner push. Too bad for Chris Daniels, but at least SOMEBODY beat RVD in a PPV match! Word on the street is that Van Dam is finished, or will be finishing up with TNA in the near future. Not a terrible way to go out, putting over a rising star. This match really solidified Gunner for me as a believable heel. His promo delivery is a little awkward at times, but that's what Ric Flair is for! This was the one screwy finish of the night I didn't mind, although the same could have been achieved via a post-match assault. Rating: B
(4) TNA Knockout's Championship
Gail Kim def. Mickie James via disqualification, to retain
Why am I even surprised that the best women's match I've seen in months ended with a ridiculous finish that makes no sense, and goes against the character of everyone in the match. Let me just pose this question: if you're a face, going after what could be your last shot at a heel's championship, would you blatently use a foreign object in front of a referee? That was one of the most backwards finishes I've ever seen, even for TNA's creative department… Especially after all that build-up (read: mind-numbingly bad promo) with Velvet Sky, hanging Madison Rayne above the ring (I know what you're thinking, and no, she was in a cage). Rating: C (ONLY because the match was incredibly solid)
