Sam Benedict of Central N.Y. (6.5). Best Match: Lethal vs. Daniels. Worst Match: Messias buildup & Messias appearance. The Black Machismo/Fallen Angel match was great, and almost makes me wish that the X-Division might be granted its own "brand extension," a separate hour to shine. Daniels continually looking to the rafters, however, merely served to remind me how Sting failed to put him over a short time ago. Speaking of Sting, although I'd prefer to see him elevating others than occupying the main event picture at this point, I thought that he, Kurt, and (surprisingly) Karen Angle all played their roles well. I've always enjoyed Dustin Rhodes's wrestling style, and I prefer he try to create a character than be a stripped-down bunkhouse brawl scrapper, but I don't know what a squash victory over a valiant Shark Boy after an apparent PPV loss accomplishes. Is his Arctic Fox a descendant of the Bad News Brown sewer rats who never got their moment in the match against Jake the Snake at Summerslam '90? I'd like to see Abyss's strict promo-editing process, in which he whittles down his florid ramblings with a quill pen backstage, until he boils it down to "My last match... your last breath... click... Doomsday!... end communication, signed, Abyss." Speaking of promos, I usually enjoy James Mitchell's work (the one heel manager still out there plying his craft), and his line about Abyss's hell-chariot having arrived was quite good; but the actual appearance of Judas Messias was a real disappointment (Black Reign's look is actually more appropriate). Judas looks like an America's Most Wanted alternate (or a Natural Born Thrilla) afflicted with cataracts and some sort of blood-clotting disorder. As a matter of fact, what is it with TNA's bloodletting fixation? It makes the product seem disturbing and off-putting to the uninitiated (I've been watching since Impact debuted on Spike, and I'm not a fan of it), and potentially marginalizes any mainstream appeal. With the generic bodybuilder physique and trunks, Messias has apparently emerged from Hell's equivalent of the WCW Power Plant.
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (8.0): Lethal vs. Daniels; Angle vs. Abyss (before Judas showing up). Worst: Black Reign vs. Shark Boy; Judas's beatdown of Abyss. Judging by what I had read in reviews and reax, No Surrender turned out pretty well. TNA came out of it just as well. Too bad it felt so sweetened, because I liked most of what I was seeing. Christian was great on the mic tonight, and while a "there must be a winner" (gimmick match?) stip is a great idea, Joe no longer has an undefeated streak at stake like Christian. It looks like Bound For Glory may be the first real attempt to get a women's division going with the extra hour coming up. The Knockouts we know: Hemme, Brooks, Kim, Moore, and SoCal Val (I guess Roxxi doesn't count as a female wrestler). So who are they bringing in, I wonder? And while they were fine on the mic, I just can't wrap my head around Ron Killings (who out of necessity had to do all the work) and Pacman Jones (whose only function in the match was pin Sting) being tag champs. Sure, it set up for Sting-Angle, but it still could have been done without losing the belts there as Karen Angle keeps getting her cheap shots in. Finally, TNA has set itself on a path of self-destruction. Eric Bischoff meant well enough, and probably felt he was doing the right thing, when he brought over former WWE talent to WCW for marquee value and drawing power. But it quickly came back to bite him in the ass as the company imploded around him. The overkill killed what made WCW special and competitive. TNA is all but following the same path, now adding Rikishi (now Junior Fatu) to the mix. The expansion to two hours can work if TNA will put a hiring freeze on former WWE talent and bring in from elsewhere. Keep what you have now, TNA, let it breathe and live on its own, and make yourself special again.
John Dupont of Baton Rouge, La. (2.0): Best Match (by default): Jay Lethal vs. Christopher Daniels; Worst Match: Black Reign vs. Shark Boy. The Lethal-Daniels match gets the nod as best match only because that's about the only one that featured anything close to resembling wrestling. The new Dustin Rhodes gimmick is a sick joke, and the main event was pathetic. They have a wrestler the caliber of Kurt Angle, yet he becomes sideshow to some sick angle. Speaking of that, TNA is no better than the WWE about changning the image of the business. We saw three or four sickeningly stiff chairshots on Abyss, just one week after we hear about the findings with Benoit. Maybe I'm a purist, but I'm ready for a return to pure mat wrestling. I wish Ring of Honor could get some TV time.
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