TNA Against All Odds 2011 Thoughts By David Damage

TNA X-Division Title
Frankie Kazarian Vs Robbie E

Both guys work hard and have a good match to start the PPV.
I've always found Frankie Kazarian to be really impressive in the ring.
Kazarian wins the match and retains the X-Division Title with a reverse tombstone "Fade To Black" - Named after the Metallica song!

Scott Steiner cuts a promo backstage with Beer Money and he messes up a few times... I'm actually concerned about Scotty because he seems to struggle trying to spit out a single sentence without messing up what he's saying... He tries to cover it by taking

swigs of James Storm's beer while he figures out what's he's supposed to be saying... but it's kinda hilarious that his last line was something about someone not having any co-ordination LOL I legit hope Steiner is mentally okay, but if he was just stumbling

over his words, then this was pretty funny.
I stumble over my words sometimes especially after I've been smoking weed, so it could have just been a very stoned Steiner.... don't forget, RVD is backstage :)


Scott Steiner & Beer Money Vs Gunner, Murphy & Rob Terry

Steiner looked good, but Robert Roode really looked great. I've been a big fan of Robert Roode since his "Team Canada" days in TNA, but he just seems to get better all the time.
The promo he cut on Impact! last week was really strong.

I'm not sure that this match is PPV quality mainly because Gunner, Murphy & Rob Terry are pretty dire, but Steiner & Beer Money managed to get something acceptable out of them by their great performances.
Scotty & Beer Money win the match after Scott Steiner hits the Frankensteiner on Gunner and gets the pinfall.

Samoa Joe Vs Pope

A lot of time-wasting by the Pope before he starts walking to the back.... Okado (Joe's "Cameraman") stops Pope from getting to the back and Joe gets him back into the ring...
After the stalling, the action was pretty good, but the match ended pretty suddenly with Samoa Joe slapping on the rear naked choke and the Pope taps out as soon as he felt the hold was applied....
After the match, the Pope wants to shake Joe's hand, but Joe doesn't trust him... slaps his hand before Pope kicks him in the gut and hits his DDE double knee into Samoa Joe against the uncovered turnbuckle
A bloodied Samoa Joe gets back up but Pope escapes the ring before he can reach him....

Challenge TV + 1 fades to black for about 15 minutes.....

They cut out the Knockout Match, so I'm reviewing it now from a downloaded version I have.....

Falls Count Anywhere:
Madison Rayne Vs Mickie James

A sign in the audience reads: "I'll pay Ric Flair's bar tab" which made me chuckle...

Mickie and Madison have a good brawl before Tera comes to the ring to interfere, which causes a distraction and Madison Rayne hits Mickie with bass knucks to win the match when Mickie can't get up before a 10 count.

Matt Morgan comes to the ring and calls out Hernandez...

Hernandez cuts a pro-mexican heel promo on Matt Morgan before attacking him and leaving the ring.....

Matt Hardy cuts the best promo he has ever had the chance to give before. Matt says that Jeff made the right decision to join TNA and that WWE punished him (Matt) for it, but now he is in TNA and he calls RVD a stepping stone....

RVD Vs Matt Hardy

Rob Van Dam & Matt Hardy have a great match. Far better than their match at Genesis last month. I think this match is further proof that regardless of where each guy has worked before - they belong in TNA and their workrate is high. They are better than

99% of anyone under contract to WWE right now. Edge, Mysterio & Punk are on the same level, but other than that I can't think of anyone in WWE who could have a match even half as good as this. Sure, Evan Bourne, Christian and some others potentially could be included, but I doubt WWE will ever give them the chance to show all they can do, they are just fodder for Sheamus to kick in the face and then play dead. Or jump off a ladder and play dead.

A long duelling "RVD" - "Let's go Hardy" chant proved that the fans cared and were into the actual match rather than a storyline "Good guy" like the majority of children fans do during WWE events.
WWE fans seemingly cheer for any old crap as long as it's a "Good guy" doing it - Cena & Orton are good examples of this with their lame offence which seems to get cheers....
RVD won by pinfall, hitting the 5 Star Frog Splash after a hard hitting, athletic and innovative match.

Christy Hemme interviews Bully Ray backstage. I love the Bully Ray character, based on how he is in real life and his promo work is always strong and believable. He tells D-Von to leave his kids backstage and says that they were "Born through their mother's ass" LOL
Christy always does a great job looking both intimidated and scared while trying her best to stand her ground against Bully Ray...

D-Von Vs Bully Ray

Bully Ray & D-Von brawl on the outside for a while, with D-Von getting the upper hand. While Bully Ray is down, D-Von's two sons come to the ring and Bully takes control of the match after the distraction.
Bully Ray starts pushing D-Von's sons around before D-Von makes the save... I really thought I could see a Russo swerve coming, but D-Von's sons actually helped him to beat on Bully Ray for a while.
Bully Ray recovers and handcuffs D-von in the ropes. D-von's sons try to fight back, but Bully Ray catches one of them with a big boot and scores the pinfall.
After the match, Bully Ray teases striking Devon and his sons with a chair... but he decides on driving one of Devon's sons through a table instead and Devin does a great job at selling the angle, as does Taz on commentary.
D-Von's son is given the stretcher treatment....

Jeff Jarrett & Karen Angle Promo backstage.... Karen Angle looks a lot less hot than she used to.... I think it's the new hair style....

Kurt Angle Vs Jeff Jarrett with Karen Angle at ringside....If Kurt wins, he gains custody of his 2 children,

They are having a pretty good match.... The ref gets knocked down and Karen rakes her nails across Angle's back to cause a distraction and Jarrett takes control of the match, sending Angle into the steel steps.
Jarrett hits the Stroke from the top rope for the 2 count.... Angle slaps on the ankle lock, but Jeff pulls Karen into the ring who distracts the ref while Jarrett is tapping to the ankle lock...
Angle breaks the hold but takes an unprotected chair shot for a 2 count.... Angle gets a small package on Jeff for a 2 count, Jarrett reverses Angle's attempt at a rolling ankle lock and pins him in a victory roll position.
Kurt Angle leaves his boots in the ring..... Taz speculates that this could mean that Angle's career is over....

Mr Anderson gives a really good promo backstage... loved the Jesse Ventura impersonation!!

Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson in a Ladder Match for the TNA World Title is up next...

Hardy & Anderson have a really good, hard-hitting ladder match... the kind of ladder match that WWE can't do anymore because it looks too violent... Tons of exciting and dangerous spots in this one including a sunset flip by Jeff on Anderson from the top of

the ladder, a missed leapfrog from the top of the ladder by Jeff, Anderson Suplexes Jeff into an upright ladder and lots more...
At one point, Mr Anderson looked like he was going to hit the Mic Check on Jeff hardy from the top of the ladder, I think Jeff was supposed to pull the Title down with him while he was receiving the move, but with them both on the top of seperate ladders,

through no fault of their own it didn't quite happen that way, but Jeff slide-kicks Anderson out of the ring and climbs the ladder.....

"Let's Go Hardy" - "Let's Go Asshole" duelling chants show that the fans are into the match and into both guys - who each work really hard and take a lot of punishment.

Jeff Hardy takes the Title and becomes the new TNA World Champion

Overall, I thought it was a good show.
Not the best TNA have ever done (but we can't realistically expect that every month) but I personally enjoyed the show.

I'm sure that there will be better TNA PPVs than "Against All Odds" this year, but I think based on last year's WWE PPVs, Turning Point will be better than any WWE PPV this year.

Against All Odds 2011 gets a thumbs up from me :)