-- 4/18 TNA Lockdown PPV Reax

Adrian of Sydney, Australia (6.0): Best Match: Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson Worst Match: Farcical Knockouts Division. The Kurt Angle vs. Mr Anderson match was one of the most-heated matches I've enjoyed thoroughly since Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 18. From start to finish, it was brutal, but most importantly it told a great story, something TNA has failed to do consistently this year. Kurt Angle is just in a class above everyone else. The creative team hit a home run with this feud, as the audience was able to connect with the characters from beginning to end. The company just stinks of potential, yet they can't seem to book logically or tell a good story otherwise. I swear, even the announcer had troubles when telling viewers about the thousand different stipulations for each match. They were going somewhere with the Knockouts a few weeks back, but now the prestige of the title is totally gone. ... The Band just need to go, period. When Hogan says they draw ratings, it reminds me of watching the scene in "The Wrestler" where only a few people show up to see the old stars at the fan convention. Let's hope that after the mess of a match known as Lethal Lockdown, the elder statesman of Flair and Hogan will start to deflect the focus to up-and-coming stars and not steal the final five minutes of the show. In regards to the World Title, I believe they should position either Jeff Hardy or RVD in a feud with Styles, as this could help elevate A.J. as an effective heel. At the moment, he just doesn't seem credible.

Bryan Kirckof of Toms River, N.J., student (7.0): Best: Angle-Anderson. Worst: 3-D-Nash/Hall. It's been a few hours since viewing TNA's Lockdown PPV and my overall opinion on the show still seems murky. While there was a lot to like on the show, there were also some really low "lows" that have bothered me. Ultimately, I enjoyed a good majority of the show. Here's the good: the crowd was hot all night. It's a shame that TNA couldn't film Impact in front of a crowd this size every night, as they really helped the atmosphere and made the event feel big. It was also nice to have a crowd full of actual wrestling fans rather than the usual tourists of Universal Studios, who I sometimes feel had no idea that they'd wind up being part of the crowd at a wrestling show. The best match of the night was definitely Angle vs. Anderson. I still prefer Taker vs. HBK II as the Best Match of the Year so far, though. The build for that match was so much better and there was much more at stake there than Angle vs. Anderson. Angle did a tremendous job, though, and showed that with HBK gone, he might be the best professional wrestler remaining today. Also, while Angle's moonsault from the top of the cage was epic, it felt a tad unnecessary. His injuries have been well documented and watching a man unnecessarily try to kill himself was a little unsettling. I'm glad he's taking time off to heal up. ... The X Division Title match was a good, but not great, affair and I didn't understand why they had to strip Doug Williams of the belt. Couldn't this have just been a number one contenders match instead? ... Styles vs. Pope was a good match, but a bit of a letdown. The ending, while fitting for Styles's Flair-like character, was a letdown. What really saved this match was the crowd. ... And now for what didn't work: must everyone bleed? All the blood became so comical that I began dreaming up new PPV names TNA could use in the future. My favorite was "TNA: Everybody Bleeds." Hall and Nash vs. Team 3-D was a mess. I really hope they find a new outlet for The Band, as their reunion was treading water long before Bubba thrust himself into the mix. And, finally, Lethal Lockdown felt awkward from start to the very painful finish. It's gotten to the point where every time Hogan and Flair get physically involved in a match, I'm forced to award it a lower score. As for the actual "wrestling" match itself, there were points where everybody was just standing around, unsure of what to do next. ... Overall, the good matches kept this PPV afloat. And while I don't wholly agree with the direction TNA is going, the Kurt Angle match was worth the price of admission alone. Sadly, though, it feels like TNA is trying too hard to appear edgy. They need to tone down the craziness and focus on what makes for compelling wrestling TV - good matches built on better storytelling. For the most part, their roster can handle putting on great contests, but if there's no reason for the two men to wrestle, other than one guy made the other bleed the week before, then there's no reason to care.

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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