-- 1/17 TNA Genesis PPV Reax

Alex Roberts of the U.K. (3.0): Best Match: Angle vs. Styles. Worst Match: Beer Money vs. The Band. Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan's attempts to transform TNA into WCW continued at breakneck speed with Genesis and they are coming dangerously close to alienating a lot of the core TNA fans. Reverting to the four-sided ring stripped away the only unique identity TNA had and now leaves the company as a dated, unoriginal wasteland. Someone also needs to inform Bischoff and Hogan that the repeated shots at WWE would be much more effective if the product wasn't a transparent carbon copy of the model the WWE perfected in the '90s and TNA weren't being propped up by a raft of recycled former WWE talent, most of whom are using the gimmicks Vince McMahon gave them. Seriously, of the eight matches on this Pay-Per-View, every single one featured at least one former WWE wrestler - two of whom were newly debuted and one to a ridiculous level of hype by Hogan. I like Ken Anderson, but a game-changer he is not. When it comes to the actual content of the show, who opens a PPV with an extended in-ring promo? TNA, apparently. The promo itself wouldn't have been so bad if it had actually amounted to more than "here's a four sided ring." It also points out a general flaw in the booking - why is Hogan playing a face? People naturally want to boo most of what he's doing, so why not just book him as a heel. When it comes to the wrestling, with two exceptions, everything on this show was instantly forgettable. It's hard to forget Beer Money vs. The Band purely because it was bad. Really bad. If TNA needed more proof that adding Hall and Waltman to the mix was a bad idea, this is it, but I doubt they're going anywhere. TNA is Hogan and Bischoff's personal playground after all. Thankfully, though, Angle vs. Styles (a/k/a the only reason I decided to watch this show) delivered. Once again, these two put together a fantastic match and even the screwy finish worked. It was a rare example when a screwy finish actually served a purpose beyond protecting Wrestler X from a loss. The problem is that these kind of finishes have been used so many times in TNA that they've lost all sense of purpose or impact. I like the Styles/Flair pairing, though, and if Flair is doing more than just cashing a paycheck, he could be great for Styles.

David of Richmond, Va. (1.0): Best Match: TNA's tainted victory over my money. Worst Match: Hulk Hogan's ego vs. the fans. I can't help but think about Dixie Carter's speech on Impact where she told the talent to either follow what the company decides to do, or leave. It was televised, which means she wanted the fans to see it. In fact, since she addressed fan criticism during the speech, it's apparent she intended it as a warning to fans as well. This never sat right with me, and the Genesis PPV shows why. The fans chanted that they wanted the six-sided ring back, and were told to shut up and enjoy what they were given. The fans booed the lack of wrestling on a PAY PER VIEW, and the big stars played Rock, Paper, Scissors in the back (while the announcers lied and said that the company's focus was on wrestling over and over and over again). The fans took a stand when a forgotten mid-carder from WWE past defeated last month's TNA main-eventer, and the suits in the back probably just figured that those fans are stupid and don't know what they want yet. We were even informed that a failed WWE mid-carder who was fired last year WILL be a huge star in TNA, whether we like it or not. The other debut, Bryan Kendrick, an under-rated talent who fans begged WWE to push harder, got jobbed out to the guy that I had completely forgotten was X Division champion. TNA truly is following the speech Dixie gave, and if the fans don't like the direction they are going, TNA welcomes you to stop watching. Dixie and Hulk know entertainment better than you, so keep your mouths shut. Sure, there were a few good matches last night, but by the time they happened I was already wishing I could have my money back. A company simply does not deserve my money when they view their own audience as an annoyance that should not be catered to.

Adam Riemer of New York, N.Y. (5.0): Best: A.J. Styles heel turn; A.J. vs. Kurt on the whole. Worst: Ken Anderson as the big surprise. First, let me say that I am still excited for TNA. I have completely given up on Monday Night Raw and almost the entire WWE for that matter. I like the gritty, raw feel of TNA. However, this was really a so-so PPV considering that this was suppose to usher in the new beginning. I like the move to the four-sided ring. I know that the six sides gave TNA a unique feel, but it just always felt bush league to me. The biggest surprise of the night for me was A.J.'s heel turn. Kurt Angle has always played such a natural heel, but I liked that TNA didn't go back to "business as usual" by making Angle the top heel in TNA. A.J. has always had a little trouble with his mic skills, so adding Ric Flair is a great addition. Ric has given invaluable rubs to the likes of Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton. Now he is able to give a rub to one of the most talented wrestlers in the business today. ... Now, I am not going to comment on how bad it was to have Sean Morley in a match with Daniels, but since TNA seems to be stuck in the past in some storylines, it is what it is. The worst part of the evening came when Mr. Ken "Kennedy" Anderson made his debut. I was one of the fans that believed all along that this is who Hogan was talking about considering that RVD seems pretty content not wrestling anymore, Goldberg has said the same thing, and The Rock seems to want to do business with WWE again. Kennedy is not a major acquisition at all. Mr. Glass Ceiling has been irrelevant for years now and many people seemed to have forgotten about him. Bringing in a guy who has had less than 20 matches in his national stage career is not a major acquisition at all. Also, "The Band" needs to go. Scott Hall is the Keith Richards of pro wrestling. He looks like hell. You can definitely see how drugs and alcohol have affected his looks and his life, yet the man is seemingly indestructible in that sense. The NWO reunion was fun on Jan. 4. Now it is very obvious that these guys cannot wrestle and their mere presence on the show goes to show you everything that is wrong with TNA's "new" mindset right now. The best thing to come about this PPV was the fact that now all we need to hope is that Jeff Hardy can have at least one match against A.J. Styles because that alone is worth the PPV money.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "TNA PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on the PPV, click here.

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