TNA Final Resolution Review - December 19, 2013

Magnus celebrates his TNA title victory.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Magnus Accused Jeff Hardy

I like the fact they tried to add extra heat to the match, but it was too little too late for late. I, for one, appreciated the references to Hardy's heel turn at 2010's Bound For Glory event, but I am not sure a majority of the audience felt the same way since it is very possible they don't recall. The delivery both Magnus and Hardy wasn't great and the live crowd unfortunately couldn't have cared less. It very well might have been the material that they were working with, but the live crowd could have easily been tired out after a long set of tapings.


Bobby Roode def. Kurt Angle in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match

I had high expectations for this match, which is why it might have felt like somewhat of a letdown for me. Don't get me wrong, though: the action was very good in the final fall, but the first two falls felt inconsequential and it was difficult to get engaged in what was going on. These two have excellent chemistry together based off their previous two great matches, but this encounter was the worst of the three. They seemed to be holding back a bit, which would be fine if the feud is set to continue, but with Roode winning three times in a row against Angle (not complaints there), how much longer can this rivalry go on for?

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Bobby Roode locks in the crossface on Kurt Angle.

Eric Young Gave "Gifts" to Joesph Park

I was happy to see Young finally reveal last week that Park is indeed Abyss, but the storyline appears to be far from over. This segment didn't do anything for this viewer and I don't care to see Park in a two-on-one Handicap against Bad Influence next week. Why can't we just cut to the part where either the Park or Abyss character is done away with? Also, I think it would be best not to remind viewers of the most illogical weapon in all of wrestling history, Janice.


The Feast or Fired Cases Were Revealed

It was odd for this segment to take place in a backstage segment. The concept is already a blatant rip-off of Deal or No Deal, so why give people even more ammunition to compare the two? I could have done without the dramatic music, too. Anyway, I was pleasant surprised with the result of the briefcases. I expected Ethan Carter III to get the world title shot, but I am glad he wasn't fired, as it would have been stupid for him to get the pink slip only to be rehired by Dixie Carter. It looks more and more like James Storm will be the one to turn heel in his feud against Gunner, which I still think is the wrong move. Zema Ion belongs in the X-Division, and Chavo Guerrero getting fired doesn't surprise me. There was a lot of buzz surrounding his jump to TNA last summer, but he was nothing more than a utility player in the tag team division, paired with Hernandez in a stereotypical tandem. What a shame.


Madison Rayne and ODB def. Knockouts Champion Gail Kim and Lei'D Tapa

Rayne looked good (and by good I mean great) in her first match back, especially given the fact she gave birth only a few short months ago. Now, that's impressive. They worked well with Kim and Tapa and I look forward to how this feud progresses from here. Rayne is a quality addition to a dying Knockouts division and can have solid matches with the Kim over the title.


Magnus def. Jeff Hardy in a Dixieland Match to Win the Vacant TNA World Heavyweight Championship

These two had yet to clash in singles competitor prior to this matchup, so I didn't know what to expect from them, but they ended up having an awesome match together. As asinine as the gimmick of the match was, Magnus and Hardy made the most out of it and pulled off several cool spots. The live crowd came alive for the entertaining action and the finish was very well done. It wouldn't make much sense if it was revealed that Magnus was Dixie's favorite all along since EC3 attacked at one point in the contest, but I still like the ending result. I enjoyed Magnus as a babyface, but turning him heel was the smart thing with the current AJ Styles storyline and Magnus being the corporate champion. Magnus has the complete package and has been deserving of a run with the strap for a while now. Congrats, kid.


Overall Show

This wasn't the best TV special that TNA has produced in recent months (last month's Turning Point was significantly better), but it was still a solid show as a whole. The Roode-Angle match was good yet unspectacular, the Knockouts match was nice, and the main event match was very entertaining. The major title change made the show noteworthy and plenty to look forward to next week.

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