(8) Ladder Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Results: Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries beat the hell out of each other both in and out of the ring. Hardy came close to victory at one point, climbing the ladder to reach his title, but the belts were lifted out of arm’s length at the last minute. Aries was shown holding the controls, and the two brawled around the ring until Hardy got an even bigger ladder! The two would climb together, only to fall off and land on another ladder that had been placed on top of the ring ropes in the corner. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate on top of the ladder, sending Aries to the outside long enough for the Champion to climb up and win the match at 21:01.
Review: A very brutal ladder match, with Hardy taking some big risks, as expected. I’ve always thought Hardy was a lot like Mick Foley, in that he was willing to do the most ridiculous things at any given time, and sacrifice his body for the benefit of the fans. It’s not as if he gets paid any more or less if he DOESN’T fall on his head from the top of ladder… The only big difference between the two is Foley’s legendary mic skills, but Hardy makes up for that with speed and agility.
I loved the spot with the raising of the belts, because at first I thought it was a technical malfunction. Aries is the kind of intelligent heel to think of things like that, and to my memory that spot has never been done. For all the good high risk moves though, they had a few botches and awkward pauses. The biggest one wasn’t even their fault, and came at the hands of the production crew who didn’t queue Hardy’s music for a pretty lengthy time after the conclusion of the match. It kind of killed the momentum for Hardy’s win, as the fans quieted down, expected something new. Still, sometimes things happen and Hardy made the best of the situation. A great match that I would personally say out-shined their Bound for Glory encounter.
Rating: A
