TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Austin Aries (c) def. Bobby Roode
I’ve gone back and forth, trying to decide if I love or hate the way this match ended. For those not keeping track at home, Roode speared Brian Hebner near the end, resulting in another referee coming to the rescue. He didn’t last very long either… This lead to a semi-predictable double pin, with each referee only seeing “their man” get a shoulder up (they both did). After some confusion, Bobby Roode stole the belt and walked away leading many to believe this is how TNA would end their PPV; the title picture split, obviously in an attempt to get around their “no rematches” stipulation. This was not to be however, as Senior Official Earl Hebner – yes the same man who likely spent the night motor boating Madison Rayne – hit the scene, restarted the match, and ultimately watched as Austin Aries rolled up Bobby Roode for the totally legitimate 3-count.
It’s a bit convoluted, no? At first I wanted to hate TNA for once again over-booking a main event segment. Can’t we get a single match where Bobby Roode doesn’t need like, seven loopholes to win? Then it dawned on me, much as it dawned on Roode as he sat in his corner totally in shock: that was it. There’s no more between these two; or at least that’s what they’re saying… This isn’t the Bobby Roode show, it’s Austin Aries’ time with the TNA World Championship.
That being said, this match established Aries on top. Many men can win a World Title, but few make it past the transitional stage. What they did here was show the usually trickery Roode must have to retain his belt, and then they allowed Austin Aries to overcome. The underdog became the guy to beat; not an easy task, especially with a star as good as Bobby Roode on the other end of the picture. But Aries is “the guy” now, and he’ll likely go into Bound for Glory, TNA’s biggest PPV of the year, as the World Heavyweight Champion. Who would have guessed?
Now there’s a matter of a wrestling match. This was the better of their two PPV encounters, in my opinion. Destination X held the bigger “moment”, but in terms of legitimizing a Champion I’d say Hardcore Justice did Aries more, well…justice. You really got the feeling both men left it all in the ring, and near the end they were just struggling to make it to the final pinfall. That’s not to say they slowed to a crawl, or let the quality of the match drop. I was with them from start to finish! Excellent psychology from two of TNA’s best talents. Just a few days ago, as I wrote up my Hardcore Justice preview, I was firmly behind the idea that Roode never should have lost his Title; that Aries just wasn’t ready. This match, and more importantly the finish, showed me otherwise.
Rating: 4.5/5
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m going to label Hardcore Justice another successful show. From top to bottom it was certainly a succesful pro wrestling PPV, even if I expected a bit more with the way the current product seems to be unfolding.
I could have done with a bigger reveal from Aces & Eights. All we know is, essentially, what we’ve already known for several weeks now. James Storm probably isn’t behind the group, but he’s being set up to take the fall. Who are they working for? Are they after the tournament or the Championship? Maybe they simply want to watch the world burn… Like I said, I could have done with more, but part of the entertainment value is simply that for once, I don’t know what’s coming. There’s no Hornswoggle or John Cena though, so we at least know we’ll see a bigger payoff than the Nexus and the Anonymous GM reveal…
Hardcore Justice had one simple goal: make the Bound for Glory series more intersting. We went in with a few clear-cut winners, and left with almost nine competitors all within striking distance. We went in with a new, possibly transitional title-holder, and came out the other end with a much strong Champion, set to do battle at Bound for Glory. TNA did what they needed to with Hardcore Justice, even if they left me wanting a bit more from some of the matches.
On the flip side, it may be a very good sign that for the first time ever, I’m left wanting more TNA.
OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10
