TNA Against All Odds was just that...

I asked some rhetorical questions about this PPV in my weekly PWInsider column, out yesterday. Now it's time to comment on the show itself.

In a word....ehhhhh...

I was very disappointed that after three stellar events, TNA fell back several notches with this totally lackluster PPV effort.

General thoughts on the show:

HEY RHODES!! DID YOU SEE THE GIANT "BRING RED BACK" SIGN IN THE FRONT ROW? Get off that lardass of yours and get Red back NOW! Before the X Division completely collapses...

Petey Williams vs Elix Skipper on paper should have been one of the best matches on the card. Instead, it was a total clusterf**k of missed spots, badly botched attempts, and overall dullness, considering the caliber of the players. And what does it show about TNA booking now that after practically co-headlining the last two TNA PPV's, Williams fell all the way to the bottom of the card. Extremely bad booking and bad commentary on this match as well didn't help it.

I despise it when a "celebrity", and I am using that term VERY LOOSELY, takes money away from real workers. Still the match between Shane & Kazarian vs BG James and Jeff Hammond wasn't all as bad as it could have been...like a few years ago when Jay Leno got into a WCW ring and stunk the place up...

I don't really remember much about the Team Canada vs DDP and Monty Brown match, because in all honesty, I left the room. Yes, I do despise No-Talent Monty Brown THAT much...

Dustin Rhodes vs Raven...In all honesty, and I know some people are not going to want to hear this, but it is time for Raven to move on. His character is simply so out of date that he's becoming painful to watch again. This match was awful, and nothing really could have been done to save it. As sad as it is to say, because he's always been one of my favorite wrestlers, It's time TNA showed Raven the door, he just doesn't fit in the company any more.

Kash/Hoyt vs AMW - Well, what can I say about this match? It was average as matches for AMW go. They're so "stock in trade" with their matches anymore that it's getting as easy to leave the room and call every spot they do from the kitchen and be right about every one of them. It WAS a nice touch to see the faces use the handcuffs for a change, though. But is it REALLY necessary to resort to this old cow of a trick? Couldn't you show a little more creativity instead?

Jeff Hardy vs Abyss - Normally i'm one of Hardy's biggest supporters (if you saw my column yesterday, you know what I mean) but this match was just deadly from beginning to end. One, does ANYONE really want to see Abyss vs Jarrett? Two, does ANYONE really think Abyss will actually BEAT Jarrett? And three, despite what everyone seems to think, although it DID look nice, Jeff's jump off the top of the entranceway wasn't as big a bump as it looked. Don't get me wrong, it was as dangerous as any stunt he's pulled in the past, and it looked great and it was great, but I remember New Jack and Spike Dudley from ECW back in either 98 or 99 (Living Dangerously 99?) doing it better...What is it going to take for Rhodes to capitalize on Hardy's overwhelming popularity with the younger fans and with the ladies? This match showed why Hardy hasn't been given the big ball yet...he's almost there, he's showing some fire, but hasn't quite reached his top level yet. One more match with Abyss and it should finally explode. Abyss was his usual self here. For a big man, he's incredibly consistant, if really nothing more than a Kane ripoff.


AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels - I'm going to get a lot of flack from eveyrone out there as well, but while it was easily the best match on the card, it was a totally phoned-in performance from both wrestlers. Styles and Daniels are both capable of much, much, MUCH more, and they've shown that in past matches. But what should have been an absolutely SPECTACULAR match was only passable, and only because I enjoy both performers very much and know that it was almost as if they had NO Passion about the match. Also, it doesn't help that AJ, as much as I like him and as talented as he is, has become the Triple H of TNA's X Division. He doesn't belong in there any more. After his heavyweight run in 2003 and 2004, it should have been obvious to everyone that he can't go backwards, because he should not have to go backwards. But backwards he went, and along the way, his stranglehold of the X Division matches are keeping Michael Shane, Kazarian, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Petey Williams, Kid Kash, and and now-booted stars Amazing Red and Sonjay Dutt under a new TNA version of the glass ceiling, to the point that TNA tends to forget that AJ was only one member of the True TNA Trinity that helped get the X Division off the ground: The other two members of that trinity were Jerry Lynn and Amazing Red. Please, i'm begging you, TNA - GET STYLES OUT OF THE X DIVISION NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOTALLY DESTROYED.

Jeff Jarrett vs Kevin Nash - this match was actually entertaining. Nash and Jarrett seemed determined to make it work no matter what. Even with Sean Waltman showing up to help Nash out, he didn't get the job done, thanks to Jarrett's help from "the artist formerly known as Billy Gunn". It was nice to see both men again, and i'm lookng forward to seeing what they have planned. for the two of them. And how they'll get the Abyss match out of the way at iMPACT to secure a spot for DDP at the next PPV, since he's the only main contender for the title right now...oh, and the CELLO was a nice touch...made it entertaining, especially when the neck fell off...

Just some random notes, "if you willlll"...Phi Omega Slam were good in their opening bout. Physically, they remind me of Public Enemy, but that finishing move, the "Tsunami Slam", I believe he called it, because, as Don West informed us, "wipes out everything in it's path", that was TOTALLY TASTELESS...especially when you consider that almost 200,000 people were killed in December's tsunami in Indonesia. It started the whole PPV off on a sour note...It was great to see my "What are the odds" from yesterdays article on PWInsider was wrong about Sean Waltman. When he made his appearance, he got a huge pop from the Florida crowd, rather than the expected boos. But, and I have to ask this question, WHO PICKED THOSE CLOTHES OUT? Ye gods, he looked like a refugee from a french...well you know how that ends...the pants wouldn't have been that bad by themselves, but that SHIRT, it was HIDEOUS. Welcome back, Sean, you look like you're back in "ring shape", but please...find someone who can SEE to pick out your clothes for you...What is up with "Tryten" anyway? I've heard this is supposed to be Ryan "Redshirt" Wilson, but the man in the promo didn't even resemble Wilson, or maybe I have forgotten what he looks like. But the ripping off of Warrior's logo is going to get TNA in a LOT of trouble if they're not careful. And i'm not going to say who I think the promo looks like just yet, because if i'm wrong, I'd rather not be a laughing stock, but if i'm right, i'm gonna have to find out what the hell he's doing...

All in all, i've got to say that I was very disappointed overall in the show. Even as good as the Styles/Daniels match is, due to the rest of the lackluster card, I don't feel like I can recommend the replay; it's just not worth it.

Here's hoping DESTINATION X Will get back on track with the terrific work show on TNA's earlier shows like Turning Point and Final Resolution.