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Countdown to TNA Genesis
By
SLAM! Wrestling Staff
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With a name like Genesis, you'd expect tonight's pay-per-view to be a time
when things start anew for TNA; instead, we're getting much of the same bad
trends that we got last year.
True, we're getting one holdover that is doing wonders for the company -- the
Main Event Mafia vs. The Frontline story, but we're also getting predictable
matches and screwy gimmicks that are designed, seemingly, just to irritate us
and a card that wasn't fully announced until the Thursday beforehand. Not the
way to sell a PPV folks.
Let's see what's going to happen tonight
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GRUDGE MATCH (6-MAN TAG)
Mick Foley/AJ Styles/Brother Devon vs. Booker T/Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner |
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
Good news - AJ and Booker are wrestling. Okay news - Nash, Steiner and Devon
are re-energized and are giving bigger efforts than they have with this new
feud. Bad news - Mick Foley looks like he's put on a ton of weight since the
One Night Stand match, and his mobility looks bad. This is not going to end
well folks, both from a gimmicky schmozz booking side and injury side. Someone
interferes, someone turns and I die a little inside.
Bob Kapur
AJ Styles will do his best to carry this one (though to be fair, all involved
have stepped it up since the MEM/FL feud began), but ultimately, he’ll
collapse under the weight of overbooking that you know is going to happen. Look
for involvement by Sharmell and Brother Ray and maybe Al Snow, or somebody turns
on the FL and joins MEM – maybe Foley or possibly even the referee. Something
that will lead to a MEM screwjob win. It’ll be fun up to that point, though.
Andy McNamara
Wow this looks to be a terrible main event! Lets hope it's AJ and Booker in
the ring for the majority, and that ol' Mick Foley is kept to a minimum. I think
the MEM take this one and single feuds stem from it.
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TNA WORLD TITLE MATCH
Rhino vs. Sting |
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
Why is Rhino in this position? Does anyone really think he can beat Sting? No.
This should've been done in reverse order, with Rhino and a couple other names
losing, leading to the epic Sting vs. AJ bout where the young buck reclaims
the gold for TNA. Instead, Sting steamrolls past the Detroiter and comes out
holding the title in the end.
Bob Kapur
I’m a huge Rhino fan, so it’s frustrating that, thanks to such poor
booking of him in the past, and despite his great showing at last month’s
PPV, people still don’t think of him as a serious contender for the belt.
He’ll have another great match, but will end up on the short end of the
stick.
Andy McNamara
The Stinger retains the gold. I'm predicting some blood and outside interference,
but bottom line is that Rhino is not the man to lead the company right now.
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GRUDGE MATCH
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett |
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
I like the idea of the match, but we all know where it's going. Kurt gets the
win to even up their feud, then next month we get the two again in a gimmick
match with the ownership of TNA on the line.
Bob Kapur
I really like how they’ve built up this match, and in particular Jeff’s
promo from Thursday night. This should be a brutal violent fight given the emotional
undertone to this one. Jeff’s blind fury will lead to him making a mistake,
which Angle will capitalize on to steal a win, but not end the feud.
Andy McNamara
Jeff Jarrett gets the feel good win, and shuts up the offensive gold medalist.
This should be technically sound for the most part and will be match of the
night.
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TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH (LUMBERJACK)
Awesome Kong vs. ??? |
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
Had Hemme been wrestling, there would've been a switch. Now, TNA has two options,
either to bring in someone new who equals Kong in size and strength and becomes
new champ, or one of the current roster members gets sacrificed. The cool thing
would be for Tracy Brooks herself to come in and take the spot because there's
a good moment followed by a quick heel turn when the other Knockouts realize
they've been screwed by their general manager (or whatever her title is). Of
course, this is TNA, so you're just as likely to get "Sarah Palin"
wrestling the match.
Andy McNamara
With Hemme out injured my guess is Taylor Wilde as the replacement. With that
said, Kong will win, and keep the gold until Hemme returns.
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X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
This is going to be a great bout, possibly a TNA Match of the Year candidate;
however, regardless of who wins, Homicide's going to cash in his Feast or Fired
briefcase and come out at the end of the night with the gold.
Bob Kapur
Ummm… tails. Shelley wins.
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GRUDGE MATCH
Shane Sewell vs. Shiek Abdul Bashir
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
I don't like the idea of this match, partly because of Sewell's neck. Nothing
good can come of this - if Sewell wins, Bashir looks horrible for losing to
a guy who hasn't wrestled in years. If Bashir wins, especially if he puts Sewell
on the injured list, then Cornette looks like a jerk. I'm scared to think where
this one's going.
Bob Kapur
Didn’t they say a couple of weeks ago that Sewell had retired from wrestling
because of a severe neck injury? So then Jim Cornette makes him wrestle on a
PPV? Does that make sense? I mean, if you want to help him out financially,
why not give him a job as assistant or something – they never filled the
position after Matt Morgan resigned, right? Why put him at risk of physical
damage? I call shenanigans. Not a big fan of Sewell’s gimmick – the
whole ‘Hulking up’ thing is just lame, in my view - but he’s
going to win.
Andy McNamara
This is an odd one with Sewell's apparent neck injury. I'm going to go with
Bashir attacking the neck and Sewell being unable to continue. Sheik wins by
referee stoppage.
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TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Beer Money Inc. vs. Matt Morgan/Abyss vs. Consequences Creed/Jay Lethal
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SLAM! Predictions
Jon Waldman
Who are the faces here? Beer Money sure seems to be the good guys, losing their
belts after heroically trying to defend the titles despite a major injury; Morgan
looks like a heel for his treatment of Abyss; Abyss is...well...Abyss; and Creed
and Lethal look like sneeky, slithering heels for taking advantage of an injury,
a la Edge. Ultimately, this is a horrid storyline and I hope it ends soon. I
don't care who wins.
Bob Kapur
Never mind that Beer Money losing to a random pairing like Creed and Lethal
(Creethal?) made no sense. But hopefully they don’t make it worse by having
the new champs drop the belts two days later.
Andy McNamara
It's too soon for Lethal and Creed to drop the belts. Despite the underhanded
tactics of Beer Money, the champs will find a way to squeak out a win and retain.
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-- compiled by Jon Waldman
