TNA's follow-up PPV to Bound for Glory kicked off with a really well-produced video package, although if you ask me what message they were trying to put over, I honestly have no idea… There was some sort of pseudo-political vibe mixed in for "Veteran's Weekend", with what I think was a brief recap of the Robert Roode/James Storm feud, but I can't piece together what they were trying to say with clips of President's Obama, Bush Jr., Clinton, etc… I try not to question TNA logic, because as we all know: if it's flashy and looks pretty, things don't have to make sense.
(1) Robbie E def. Eric Young to become the NEW Television champion
I've heard all sorts of different opinions on Eric Young, some good, most bad, and a few indifferent. My position on wrestlers with wacky gimmicks has always been that if you can make something entertaining enough for the fans to get behind, no idea is off the table in pro wrestling. Eric Young continues to be one of the most entertaining guys in TNA, and even has the in-ring ability to back it up (when he's not locking horns with SoCal Val or the referee…). That being said, I think his talents are better used in short matches where the crowd doesn't have the opportunity to get bored or tire of his shenanigans. It was definitely a fun contest, but I lost interest as soon as Robbie E took control. I'm fine with the Jersey Shore knock-off winning the title (mostly because I like Rob Terry as a bouncer), but the finish could have been a bit more polished.
Grade: C
(2) Mexican America def. Ink Inc. to retain the TNA Tag Team championships
The best part of Mexican America's entrance was all the Eddie Guerrero signs in the audience. The worst part was remembering how many times the super-talented Hernandez has been pushed, only to fall back into a lackluster faction, almost always playing off a racial stereotype. The only remarkable thing about this PPV at this point is the amount of men getting their pants taken off during a pro wrestling event. As if we didn't already have to combat a homoerotic connotation… Some great action by Toxxin, who I'm looking forward to seeing more of in the Knockout's division, but nothing else stood out. Mexican America retains the belts, and the tag team division continues to remain irrelevant.
Grade: C
(3) Austin Aires def. Jesse Sorensen and Kid Kash to retain the X-Division championship
I can't tell if Kid Kash actually buys into his own hype, or if that's just the mark of a great heel. If you ask me Kash is over-rated, and while 20 years in the business is impressive, there are hundreds of guys who have done a hell of a lot more in a fraction of the time. I have no real opinion of Austin Aires, and Jesse Sorensen is too young to help build any anticipation. All that being said, I think the dynamic between Kash and Aires was textbook triple-threat, interesting at first but quickly faded after the 4th or 5th failure to "stick to the plan". My biggest problem with this match was quite simply my lack of investment in the current X-Division or its competitors. But like I said earlier, as long as things are flashy and look pretty, TNA is content.
Grade: C
(4) Rob Van Dam def. Christopher Daniels
He's often too much of a "spot monkey" that I forget RVD is capable of pulling off some great in-ring, back and forth action. You know when Daniels offered to have a straight-up wrestling contest it would inevitably end with a screwdriver spot, but I didn't expect Van Dam to walk away with the victory. I question the logic of putting over a face that has been fairly irrelevant compared to one of the more over heels in TNA right now, but then again the build to this match wasn't exactly rocket science. A good one-off match that, if nothing else, got the crowd off their feet for the first time in the night.
Grade: B
(5) Crimson and Matt Morgan were both disqualified
I've said before that I'm not a huge fan of the "giants" in pro wrestling, but that doesn't mean I can't get behind a good contest of strength from two good competitors. In this case we have two faces, two powerhouses, and one undefeated streak on the line. That right there is probably enough to sell a decent match, and I'm slowly coming around on Michael Keaton Crimson as a future star in TNA. I really liked the Double-DQ ending…in theory. I was worried going in that they would over-complicate things by turning one of these two guys heel, but it ended with two brutes unable to get an edge. Dumping the ref on his ass might not have been a crowd-pleaser, but it allowed things to continue to the next event, which I personally think is a good thing. The biggest thing that turned me off to the finish wasn't the booking, but the very weak brawl they had leading up to the DQ. For two very large, dominating males, the Knockouts could have put on a better cat-fight.
Grade: C
