-- 4/18 TNA Lockdown PPV Reax

Sean Banks, Torch reader (8.5): Best Match: Angle vs. Anderson. Worst Match: Lethal Lockdown. Well, I've been a wrestling fan for 25+ years and there are moments that will make me always remain a fan of professional wrestling. I got to see one of those tonight with the Anderson-Angle match. Nothing has made me jump out of my seat like that in a long time, including attending WrestleMania 26 live. That match is Match of the Year so far in any promotion for me. The rest of the card was good as well. Styles-Pope was outstanding, it was good to see Madison Rayne get a chance as Knockouts champion, the X Division title match was outstanding, - I can't wait to hear Doug Williams complain on the mic about being stripped of the X Title - and everything else was fine up to the clustermess that was Lethal Lockdown. I know it's designed to be that anyways, so they get a pass, but hopefully with Dixie Carter sitting at ringside tonight, she understood who the real stars in TNA are. Angle-Anderson, Pope-Styles, the X Division, and the Knockouts are what sell TNA to the fans. I'm glad I purchased this PPV tonight and look forward to Impact tomorrow.

Brian Jaffe of Iowa City, Iowa (4.0): Best Match: Angle vs. Anderson. Worst Match: Knockouts tag. The best way to describe this show was that it was filled with downsides and one gigantic upside. I don't get why Douglas Williams, who had been amazing in his role as champ, was stripped of the belt for something way beyond his control, but if TNA handles it properly, he could get his heat back. RVD vs. Storm was a solid opener to get the crowd into the show. The four-way X Division match was everything we've seen before in Xscape matches. Nash vs. Young put the exclamation mark on the idea that Eric Young will never be considered a legitimate star. The Knockouts tag match was extremely sloppy, as expected. The title change means that the Knockouts Title has changed hands twice with the champion not being the one who lost, which hurts the credibility a lot. A heel turn for Tara might freshen up her character a bit, but the strangeness of the title hunt recently really hurt her credibility. The three-way for the vacant X Division Title was a fine match, with the crowd getting into it and Homicide playing the heel well. Team 3D completely destroyed The Band, and given that Syxx no-showed tonight, it wouldn't surprise me if he and Hall could be on the way out. The only true highlight of the show was Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle, which was an amazing match and a definite Match of the Year contender. Both men absolutely gave it their all, and even through a few scary spots, kept going for more and more. With Angle taking a break, it was just the thing Mr. Anderson needed to look like a star, and fill the main event gap that Angle will be leaving. Styles vs. The Pope was fun, but I think the ending with a pen to the eye was stupid. The main event was a big, messy cluster, with guys tripping over each other all the time. The worst part was that the end was Hogan and Bischoff and Flair confronting each other, while quietly in the background, Abyss won the match. Nobody ended up looking good in the main event, which is precisely the opposite of what a main event should do. Overall, a mostly negative show, but saved by an amazing Angle vs. Anderson match.

Matt Baxendell, Torch reader (9.0): The Angle-Anderson match, in my opinion, just edged out HBK-Taker II as the Major Promotion Match of the Year. Both men came out of the match looking like superstars and I would give it a 4.5-star rating. The TNA title match between Pope and A.J. was a solid wrestling match and, while Lethal Lockdown ended with a thud thanks to Hulk Hogan, it was still a pretty cool spotfest. The rest of the card was also solid and the two X Division matches were great. It was nice to see another X character (Homicide) get some focus for once. Now, if TNA could just get the tag titles on the Guns, I will be happy. Let's hope that Impact follows up on this great effort in front of six or seven thousand fans and starts putting together a more logical show on a consistent basis. If TNA follows this up by giving Abyss a title shot over RVD, I will pull my hair out. There is some serious potential in this company; let's hope they begin to realize it.

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.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE PPV REAX #1: "I wanted the biggest event of the summer to end with an exclamation point; it ended with a semicolon and a question"

WWE PPV REAX #1: Battleground finish generates mixed reactions...

WWE PPV REAX #2: In-Person Battleground Report on overall show, reactions, more