TNA Genesis Review - January 16, 2014

Sting gets his hands on Rockstar Spud.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Sting Interrupted Dixie Carter

Dixie is terrible at promos more often than not, and this was one of her times. It was a logical follow-up to what happened in last week's main event, but I couldn't have cared less about anything said in this segment even though both Rockstar Spud and Magnus delivered solid promos. Magnus coming out with both belts was a blatant rip-off of what WWE did only a month ago and looked stupid since they were the same strap. The subsequent brawl between the faces and heels was fine and was a nice tie-in to the 12-man tag team match, but no opening segment on a two hour show should go 30 minutes long, especially when it isn't even any good.


James Storm, Gunner, Joesph Park, Eric Young, Samoa Joe and ODB def. World Tag Team Champions The Bro-Mans, Bad Influence, Zema Ion and Lei'D Tapa

It was a train wreck of a match for the most part with a few highlights. The pace was never consistent, and it was too many people crammed into one match. I could see why it made sense, but the match itself never appealed to me, honestly. Park turning on his partners was lost in the shuffle and confused fans more than anything. It actually took me a minute to remember who even won the match as I was writing this.

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Velvet Sky confronts Chris Sabin.

X-Division Champion Chris Sabin Confronted Austin Aries

I had high hopes for this feud when it was first teased last July, but it jumped the shark a while ago. I like Velvet Sky's involvement and everything, but the X-Division title feels forgotten about and has changed hands way too many times in recent months to mean anything. However, this was an enjoyable verbal exchange that built nicely to next week's title match. I could see Sky going full heel by turning on Aries and helping Sabin retain, but either way, I am intrigued by what will happen.


Bully Ray def. Mr Anderson in a No Disqualification Match

I stopped caring about this feud weeks ago, but at least the match was entertaining. They made excellent use of the extreme environment and had the crowd invested in the action. I still can't get over just how stupid the whole lighter thing is and I really hope that this was the last we have seen of it. Ray kicking out of Anderson's finishers only for Anderson to take one finisher from Ray and lose made Anderson look weak, but other than that, I enjoyed the bout. Here's hoping that this is the end of the rivalry and both competitors can move on to bigger and better things.


Kurt Angle Called Out Dixie Carter

Why would Al Snow confess to tricking Angle last week only to not reveal who put him up to it? Is Angle really that oblivious that he wouldn't realize it was Dixie? Her logic made absolutely no sense, and her postponing the Steel Cage match until next week was asinine. If this is supposed to be a pseudo-pay-per-view, why would you delay a heavily hyped match until the following week? If nothing else, Angle's feud with Bobby Roode was furthered here, but that was about it.


Madison Rayne Defeated Gail Kim to Win the Knockouts Championship

These are two of the best women's wrestlers in the division (if not the only two), so I was a bit disappointed by the fact. The action was good early on, but the match wasn't given enough time to show how well Kim and Rayne can work together. The referee witnessed Lei'D Tapa strangling on the outside and didn't disqualify Kim. It doesn't get any more asinine than that, folks. I am glad that Rayne is champion again, but it felt too early in the feud for a title change. It fell flat because the finish was anticlimactic, which is a shame.


Ethan Carter III def. Sting with Rockstar Spud as the Special Guest Referee

The match was only mere minutes long before it was cut short with the screwy finish. It couldn't have gone any longer? Really? It made EC3 look weak since he was seemingly beaten by Sting withing minutes and needed help from Spud and Magnus to win. It will get him heel heat, sure, but it does nothing to help boost his credibility. I am glad he went over, but the win doesn't come off as very meaningful.


Sting Challenged TNA World Heavyweight Champion Magnus

Sting looked like a goof for wanting to do anything to get his hands on Magnus and putting his career on the line in a match in the process. This show marked the first time Magnus and Sting have crossed paths in months. Why would Sting be so desperate now to face Magnus? Although I hate the idea of Sting going against the ban and challenging for the world title anyway, I love the idea of his career being up for grabs as well. It was an intriguing hook for next week's match and I surely hope this is the last we see of Sting in TNA. WrestleMania 30 is right around the corner, isn't it?


Overall Show

Needless to say, there was an excessive amount of Dixie Carter on this show. Granted, she is almost always featured frequently each week, but this was more than usual. There was too much talking on this show and not enough wrestling. The matches that had potential to be good fell flat and weren't memorable in the slightest. I am glad that Genesis will be carrying over to next week and I am looking forward to what is being advertised, but if this edition of Impact Wrestling was a disappointment, why should I think that next week's will be any better? If nothing else, the live crowd was hotter than it has been in recent weeks since it was the first time TNA has been on the road in a few months, so it was a refreshing atmosphere to say the least.

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