Thumbs Up

Best Match: Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries

Worst Match: Zema Ion vs. Flip Casanova

Hi Dave,

Absolutely stellar show from TNA. This was TNA's best PPV since Turning Point 2009 with the Styles/Daniels/Joe rematch and Kurt Angle vs. Nigel McGuinness. There was a ton of talent up and down the card and the show was such a breeze to sit through. The undercard X Division tournament matches just flew by and then 3 of the 4 main matches really delivered strongly. The Last Chance Four Way I thought was the standout match on the undercard. Sure it was a bit of a spotfest but it served its purpose as an 8 minute opening match. Rubix/Jigsaw looked really impressive here and probably should have gone over, but Mason Andrews/Scorpio Sky deserved the nod as well. Very exciting, fast-paced way to kick off the show. Kid Kash vs. Mason Andrews and Douglas Williams vs. Kenny King were worked in very similar ways and were both solid back and forth matches, with Williams/King being a little bit better because it had a bit more time to develop. Sonjay Dutt vs. Rashad Cameron/BLK Jeez was another solid athletic match, it was on its way to being MOTN at that point in the show before it ended a bit abruptly. I didn't care for the Jesse Sorensen promo as it made it far too obvious that Zema Ion was winning the tournament. It was fine but it should have been on Impact in my opinion. Ion vs. Flip Casanova was thankfully short. It was a nothing match but it's a good thing it didn't go long enough for Flip to kill anybody. Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle was very good, not at the level of some of their matches in the past but it was also distinguishable from those matches. With both guys taking the match very seriously and working hard from the get-go due to the 15 minute time limit, as well as the finish with the ref making a judgment call rather than Angle tapping out, this match definitely had a bit of a sports/MMA feel and that realism made the match intriguing. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels was a terrific last man standing match. Like the previous match these guys have had many matches in the past but they managed to make this one really stand out. This was a great, bloody, hate-filled brawl with some awesome spots which made for great false finishes. I was really happy that they ended the match on the Styles Clash off the stage because that move was too awesome to just be a near fall. Ultimate X was honestly a bit disappointing for me. That match was going along fine, pretty much on par with most of the earlier X Division matches, and then all of a sudden it was over. This was probably due to Dutt's injury but nonetheless the finish was very anticlimactic and this was weak compared to the lineage of the Ultimate X match. Hell the one on Impact where Austin Aries retained the X Division Title was probably a bit better than this. Speaking of Aries, that brings us to our main event. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries. Good lord this was tremendous. Excellent old school storytelling and crowd reactions with both guys absolutely perfect in their roles. The drama was amazing in the last 5 or so minutes of this match, with Roode getting his comeuppance for all the cheap crap that he'd been doing throughout his title reign and the crowd just absolutely red hot for Aries. Aries winning the title was a bit unexpected which made this moment even better. For once TNA actually took a young star, built him up properly, and pulled the trigger and went all the way with him. And where is Aries right now? He's one of the most over guys in the company by far, he's an absolute star, and he's the World Heavyweight Champion. Take notes WWE. Really great PPV overall.

Jared Silberkleit

Orange, CT

2 Thumbs Up   Best Match - Styles/Daniels Worst Match - Nothing Really, so I'll go with King/Williams (which was still 3 stars)   Wow.....WOW! That's about all I can say. I don't know who the credit for the improved products goes to...Dixie Carter - Bruce Pritchard - whoever has been put in charge of writing and production deserves major kudos. The show had a good start, and each match built upon the previous one, using both intensity and logic.No goofy backstage angles, just a good old fashioned story of 2-4 guys, having heat, and wanting to beat the other. With WWE, over the leat 10-15 years, muddying the water between "face" and "heel", it's good to see TNA establishing personas that fans can get behind one way or the other. Tonight was textbook, in establishing new talent to identify with, building new top-tier talent in Aries (truth ne know, I really liked him in his previous TNA run as "THE" Austin Idol), and showing how to work a match where the losing heel (Roode) lost absolutely no steam whatsoever. I won't do like others here, and give my thoughts or blow by blow of each match. I went with Styles/Daniels as my favorite, as though they've worked each other 1000 times, they added to the game tonite with the juice and intensity, and told a most excellent story. I met Styles years ago, when he came through Southern Championship Wrestling in NC, and I told him he was phenomenal. Boy, do I wish I'd put a patent on that. Again, everyone in the company, from the top down, deserves a pat on the back, as TNA seems to be building long term, and not going for quick fixes or fly by the  seat booking. Definitely the best US product right now!   Ed Jones/Major DeBeers