WWE Victory Road 2011

13th / March / 2011

Highlights of Victory Road……

Taz & Mike Tenay welcome us to the show…

Bully Ray Vs Tommy Dreamer is the opening match… Bubba tells Dreamer the match with be No DQ & Falls Count Anywhere….
Dreamer & Bully Ray battle to the outside, Bull Ray gets sent into the stage and battle through the crowd, with Tommy Dreamer in control and fans chant “TNA”, Bully Ray takes control by the ring and sends Dreamer into the steps, Dreamer avoids a steel chair and sends Bubba into the ring post.
Back in the ring, Dreamer nails Bubba with a Singapore Cane and a trashcan lid, bubba falls on top of a blow up doll… Dreamer goes to the top rope, but is cut off by Bully Ray with a trashcan lid and hit’s a superplex on Dreamer.
Dreamer reverses a Bubba Bomb and hit’s a DDT for a 2 count.
Dreamer brings a table into the ring but a power bomb attempt is turned into a backdrop by Bully Ray and Dreamer gets nailed with a stiff trashcan to the head and a big boot for a 2 count.
“Now you pay” says Bully Ray before he hits Dreamer with some stiff Singapore cane shots. Bully Ray gets the mic and tells Devon “This is for you” as he plans to put Dreamer through a table… Devon’s music hits and his sons come down the ramp… which distracts Bully Ray… Devon slides into the ring and Bully Ray gets a 3D through the table and Dreamer covers him for a 3 count…

Backstage… Christy Hemme asks Winter what the problems are between her and Velvet. Winter says that Angelina has seen for herself that the problems are caused by Velvet and not her. Angelina & Winter walk off together and leave Velvet wondering what’s going on…

Knockout Tag Titles: Angelina & Winter Vs Serita & Rosa

Winter comes to the ring wearing a blindfold…
Angelina & Serita start the match, suplex by Angelina…. Beautiful spinning backbreaker and Northern Lights suplex by Winter on Rosita for a 2 count. Angelina comes in and gets a 2 count after a front slam.
Back heel trip by Rosita and she gets the tag, but Serita accidentally dropkicks her partner… Quick tags by both teams… Stunner on Rosita for a 2 count…
Serita brings a tag Title into the ring and Rosita is about to nail Winter, but Velvet takes the Title from her. Winter rolls up Rosita in a Victory Roll pinfall, but Serita is able to turn them around and the ref counts the 3 count on Winter.
New Knockout Tag Champs: Serita & Rosita.
Angelina & Winter blame Velvet for the loss after the match.

Footage is shown of Jeff Jarrett & Karen on their honeymoon at a theme park. The Angle kids are very happy to be going on the rides and the offer of pizza, but Karen isn’t having a good time…

Matt Morgan backstage with Christy, he tells her that after he beats Hernandez, he will be going straight for the TNA World Title, no matter who has it.

Matt Morgan Vs Hernandez - First Blood Match

Matt Morgan & Hernandez start off quick, big shoulder block by Hernandez before he breaks a wooden stick and tries to drive it into the head of Morgan.
Matt fights back with a discus clothesline and a big fall away slam. Morgan goes outside the ring and picks up the wood stick, but is cut off by Hernandez - who is caught climbing the ropes. A “Fan”” jumps into the ring, which distracts Morgan. Hernandez has a steel chain to hit Morgan with, but Morgan takes hold of it and hits Hernandez… Hernandez does a blade job, but quirts blood on Morgan - the referee sees the blood on Morgan and Hernandez is the winner.

This was a pretty bad match, reminded me of a typical WWE main event style match, except with some blood. Bad booking, the whole thing was pretty much a waste of time.

X Division Title Ultimate X Match
Kazarian Vs Max Buck Vs Jeremy Buck Vs Robbie E…

This was a great match that I couldn’t do justice to by recapping (I couldn‘t even name some of the innovative things Generation Me do in this match) so I’ll just give some random highlights… Kazarian hits Robbie off the cables and lands a double leg drop from the cables…. Robbie E gets back-dropped over the top rope into the steel steps and then gets hit with a springboard cross-body by Kaz.
Max uses Jeremy throughout the match to try to help him climb the cables to win the X Division Title…. Tower suplex by Robbie on Jeremy & Kaz….
Kaz hits the “Fade To Black” reverse piledriver on Max Buck and also an impressive Flex Capacitor from the top rope.
Jeremy & Max both battle on top of the cables before Kaz is able to walk across the top of the cables and grab the X before Robbie E can grab the belt.

This was a pretty good match - far from the best Ultimate X match I’ve ever seen, but all guys worked hard and some impressive moves by Generation Me and Kazarian. Best thing on the PPV so far.

Beer Money are backstage with Christy and cut a good promo…

Beer Money Vs Ink Inc for the Tag Team Titles

Ink Inc work well as a team, making frequent tags and cutting off the ring, working on James Storm. Roode makes the tag and takes control of the match - After some back and forth action, Roode sends Jesse Neal into Shannon Moore in the ropes. Shannon Moore hit’s a moonsault on James Storm. Double suplex on Shannon Moore. Spear by Jesse takes out Storm and a neck breaker on Roode for a 2 count. Shannon Moore gets his chain to hit Robert Roode with, but Jesse Neal tells him not to use it, while Shannon hesitates, James Storm super kicks Jesse and Beer Money get the pinfall on Shannon Moore to retain the Tag Titles.

… After the match, Shannon Moore blames Jesse Neal for costing them the match.

I didn’t like the booking for the finish of the match, but all guys worked hard.
Wish we could have seen a longer match between these two teams without the gimmick finish.

Matt Hardy (with Ric Flair) Vs AJ Styles

Styles sends Hardy to the outside with a dropkick, distracted by Flair and Hardy comes in with a clothesline on Styles. Matt slams Styles and hits an elbow drop. Styles pulls the ropes down and Hardy goes to the outside. Nice moonsault on Hardy outside the ring. Hardy takes control and rams Styles shoulder first into the ringside post. AJ Styles Springboards from the guard rail and takes out Hardy with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Hardy is sent into the turnbuckles, but fights back with a snap german suplex into the turnbuckles. Styles sent to the outside and Ric Flair works him over with chops. Matt Hardy nails Styles with a slingshot into the bottom rope and then slaps on his new underhooks / body scissors hold, but AJ makes his way to the ropes to force the referee to break it.
Hardy continues to work on Styles… A double clothesline and both men stay on their feet before Styles hit’s an enzuguri kick to send Hardy down. Both men fire good looking punches at each other before Styles gets Hardy with a fireman carry / neck breaker combo. Elbow off the second rope from Hardy and goes for the Twist of Fate, but Styles reverses for a 2 count. Discus Clothesline by Styles and AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but it’s countered into an overhead slam for a 2 count. Styles hit’s the Pele’ kick on Flair on the apron and Hardy hits an implant DDT and a moonsault on AJ Styles for a 2 count. Hardy climbs the ropes, but AJ stops him with another great Pele’.
AJ Styles goes to the top and hit’s the Spinal Tap from the top rope for the 3 count.
I wasn’t able to recap every move in that one, but it was a pretty good match. My favourite of the PPV so far….


Mr Anderson Vs RVD to be the No.1 Contender for the TNA World Title

Rob & Anderson go for a series of different moves and reversals, RVD gets the double leg scissors pin for a 2 count and both guys get to their feet.
Both guys trade hammerlocks and headlocks, ankle picks, some nice wrestling until RVD gets nailed after going for a leapfrog.
Anderson clotheslines RVD in the corner - RVD reverses another irish whip on Anderson and follows up with a spinning kick into the corner. Anderson goes to the outside and RVD hit’s a baseball slide and a cross body from inside the ring to the outside. RVD perches Anderson on the steel railing and goes for the spinning leg drop off the ring apron, but Anderson moves out of the way and RVD goes straight into the railing with a lot of velocity. Mr Anderson begins to work on RVD’s legs, throwing them into the turnbuckle post a few times and continues working on his leg inside the ring before slapping on a Boston Crab.
After more working the leg of RVD, Mr Anderson goes for the mic check, but RVD blocks the move and goes for Rolling Thunder, Mr Anderson avoids it and hits a nice back suplex on RVD, a clothesline and neck breaker for a 2 count. Both guys down after a double clothesline…RVD hit’s the shoulder blocks in the corner before Anderson avoids the last one and RVD drives himself into the ring post. Anderson & RVD bump heads, which looks like it really hurts both guys. Anderson & RVD battle to the outside and Mr Anderson hits the Mic Check on RVD on the ramp. Both guys get counted out.
This was a great match, with great action by both men, but yet another screwy finish. Damn.
This was still my best match on the card, but wish they could have had more time and a less screwy finish.
I’m sure whoever is booking this PPV (Eric Bischoff, Hogan or Russo) must be getting paid-off by Vince McMahon because no one could think that having a screwy finish in every single match on the PPV seemed like a good idea… Especially considering the main event is still to come..

TNA World Title Match

Sting Vs Jeff Hardy

I’ve read from a few different places that Hardy trips on the ramp and stumbles up the ring steps on his entrance, but I didn’t see either of these things, although he does look a little “out of focus” the whole time.
Eric Bischoff comes to the ring before the match starts and says that the match with be a No DQ match. He tries to shake Sting’s hand, but Sting decides to punch him in the face instead.

Hardy takes his shirt off and teases that he will throw the shirt into the crowd, but he just drops it in the ring instead, like a heel should.
Sting intimidates Jeff Hardy, pushing his chest up against him in the ropes and Hardy cowers under the top rope until Sting backs up.
Sting hit’s a punch or two on Hardy and then hits a pretty brutal Scorpion Death Drop on Hardy and pins him for a 3 count.
Jeff pops right up after the count and argues with the ref that it was a fast count.
Sting leaves the ring and says “I agree” loudly to a fan, who is probably shouting “Bullshit” at the quick finish.
Taz & Tenay recap the Victory Road card before they go off-air.

Overall this wasn’t a great TNA PPV, mainly due to the bad booking in pretty much every match, even though the talent, for the most part, worked hard with what they were given.

While better than anything I’ve seen from WWE in a long, long time, by TNA standards, this was not one of their better shows.