-- 8/8 TNA Hardcore Justice PPV Reax

Jason Hadden of Owensboro, Ky. (3.0): Best: Sabu vs. RVD (kinda by default). Worst: The disingenuous ECW stories from TNA wrestlers. Bruce Mitchell has used an excellent analogy over the years to describe revived wrestling concepts that fit this show to a tee. Hardcore Justice was "a Xerox of a Xerox of a Xerox." The fans were into the action, but nothing like at the original One Night Stand PPV. I still don't get why this PPV was even put together. Why does ECW need to say good-bye again, in 2010? The main thing that bothered me about this show, aside from the poor execution and mostly bad wrestling, were the disingenuous video packages featuring current TNA wrestlers reflecting on ECW. Most of these clips seemed so forced and scripted, but one stands out. I laughed out loud when Madison Rayne compared the Original ECW to TNA! Believe me, Madison, if the Original ECW were still in business, their roster would do anti-TNA promos and their fans would bring "TNA Sucks" signs to all the shows. Action on this PPV ranged from passable to embarrassingly bad! Arguably the worst thing was seeing Tommy Dreamer trying to re-create the terrible scene from Royal Rumble '99 when Mick Foley's wife had to leave ringside due to how terrified Foley's children were to seeing their dad being beaten up by the Rock. I ordered this show not for ECW nostalgia, but to see Sabu. I've been a fan of his since I first saw him wrestle Lightning Kid (Sean Waltman) in the early '90s. So, I got to see Sabu wrestle RVD again in a passable main event, but as for the rest of the show, it was a diluted Xerox of an era that is over and has been over for nearly a decade. Let's move on. Paul Heyman is indeed a genius... for staying away from this.

Kevin, Student (0.5): Worst: All of it. Best: When it was over. That was by far the worst wrestling pay-per-view I've ever seen. They barely had any hardcore matches and it seemed like very few of the wrestlers in regular matches were actually in-shape or able to work a half-decent match. The pay-per-view offered absolutely nothing to regular TNA fans and strictly catered to the small demographic of ECW fans left. This was a desperate plea for Paul Heyman to join the company. Fail.

Joey B of New Jersey, artist: Best Move: getting Dreamer's kids to the back. In the wacky world of TNA, I don't look for logic, and I had no logical reason to get this PPV. It was a 100 percent impulse buy that I ordered about 40 minutes in. Cablevision does not give you the replay any more, so I missed the first two matches. This PPV reminded me of seeing an old favorite band doing a reunion tour. They can still play and do all the hits (no pun intended) but there is something missing. I was live at ECW's One Night Stand in 2005 (and wrote a review for the Torch), which was one of the most electric sporting events I've ever attended. I don't want to say this show was sad, but it did not (and could not) compare to One Night Stand. Stevie vs. Justin was okay; I simply never saw Justin as a credible ECW champion. Also, for an ECW reunion, Sandman only got a post-match run-in that was cut short by a video clip? Either there's heat with Sandman and Dreamer or he was injured because he was over huge at One Night Stand, and here he only got a cameo. The three-way was good fun. Considering Al Snow's recent New York Times article about his various maladies, Al Snow looked fine in the ring. The tag team street fight was a comedy match, pure and simple, and even with that in mind, it's hard to say anything about Axl except that he was awful. And why did Bubba say it was going to be "an old school South Philly street fight," and then do total comedy? Raven gave a solid promo, and I thought the match with Dreamer was a good hardcore match (I hope Chris Nowinski wasn't watching) with some cool twists and turns at the end. Van Dam vs. Sabu seemed methodical; more like a series of spots than a match with any feeling in it. Anyone notice Foley make a beeline to front and center to get on the hard camera next to Dreamer and Dixie at the sign-off? So, where does TNA go from here? Will Dixie notice a difference with Russo not booking the show? Will the TNA roster be motivated by this trip down memory lane or be resentful for losing a PPV payoff and TNA emphasizing ECW? What (if anything) did TNA and its roster learn from this PPV? Maybe I'm foolishly looking for logic in what may be nothing more than a one-time "What the heck! Let's do something different!" nostalgia show.

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.

[Torch art credit Joe Borzotta (c) PWTorch.com]

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