[2011-12-11-TNA-Final Resolution] Bobby Roode vs A.J. Styles (30 Minute Iron Man)

[Superstar Sleeze]

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode vs AJ Styles - TNA Final Resolution 2011 30 Minute Iron Man

 

The video package before the match was fantastic. I loved Roode's parents condemning Roode's actions and that they did not raise their child to be like this. I loved Roode's wife staying he is not the one here at home that has to explain to their children why their daddy is a cheater. Great touch. Spitting on Dixie and then taking on AJ's knee. Hell they are trying to get Roode over as the top heel I will give them that!

 

First ten minutes: AJ Styles gives a ***** sell job of his knee. Maybe the greatest ten minute selling of the knee I have ever seen period. What makes it so great? We all know Kawada in 12/3/93 and Savage from SNME 11/87 against Bret, those are great "my knee is totally fucked, I cant do anything performances". AJ puts a twist on this. This is a great "my knee has been injured before the match and it is affecting every single thing I do" performance. They trade waistlocks at the beginning Roode gets a drop toehold and AJ scrambles and immediately favors the knee. Every single time he runs; he runs with a limp. The way he throws chops and shouldertackles he favors the knee. He is using side headlocks to control the match because it is the one thing he can do that does not hurt his knee. When he needs to escape out of a headscissors, he bridges on ONE LEG and then kicks out in such a way that his left leg feels no impact. Taz points this out too and kudos to him. To paraphrase Taz, this selling has been simply phenomenal pun intended. We saw in the last match AJ constantly being on the attack and suffocating Roode. Here Roode can take walks and AJ does nothing about it because he does not want to risk his leg. Another way Roode can dictate the match now. I am not exaggerating or kidding when I say literally ever MOVEMENT that AJ does that could affect the leg he sells. In the corner, Roode crowds and picks the leg so AJ clamps on a front chancery. The tension is so high in this match because you know AJ's knee is going to get fucked, but you don't know when and as a big AJ fan you don't want it to happen. They have been teasing it, but he is still standing. Nice nearfall barrage, AJ favors knee on hiptoss and armdrag, but his hesitation costs him as Roode gets a shoulder tackle. Roode hits a kneecrusher, fuck...AJ avoids elbow on knee...AJ clamps on side headlock, but is in visible pain. He is a gamer and is trying to fight through it. Roode chopblocks the knee while AJ is in the ropes and Roode picks up the win. To go up 1-0.

The first fall was ten minutes. The greatest ten minute match I have ever seen. I would give it ***** without a doubt. I am actually scared to watch the next twenty minutes because AJ wrestled at such a high level for the first ten minutes.

 

Next Five Minutes: WHO AM I TO DOUBT AJ STYLES? We are halfway through and still totally at the ***** clip! AJ fights through the pain roaring back with vicious punches and chop. Roode is totally overwhelmed in the corner and goes to the eyes. AJ is a sitting duck and Roode clips the leg and AJ is down in pain. Roode tortures AJ. I love AJ's selling mixed with his fighting spirit. He never drops the selling for one second, but he never dies either. He fighting back with chops and punches but through the pain. You can see that pain etched on his face. Roode always has the ability to stymie AJ with a knee attack. AJ goes for the rana off his back, but has no strength in his knee and this leads to a Single leg crab...so dramatic watching AJ make the ropes. Only for him to succumb to the figure-4. Incredible, incredible, incredible. This is the pro wrestling I live for! I am excited for the next fifteen minutes!

 

Next Five Minutes: So you know something had to break AJ's way otherwise this was just going to be a blowout. AJ kicks Roode off with his good leg and Roode hits the turnbuckle and comes up favoring his shoulder!!!! AJ SINGLE ARM DDT! Landing completely on his back! It is the little things people! Crippler Crossface! Tap out. 2-1 Roode!

Go AJ GO! He goes for a Nagata Style armbar, Roode counters using the tights into a single leg crab and AJ reaches back and rakes the eyes! AJ is going to destroy this arm. He wrenching it in every way and just teeing off on Roode. He is selling his leg like a million bucks. Roode hits a clothesline, but his shoulder is shot and he cant follow it up. Cradle by AJ, 1-2-3! It is all knotted up! Ten minutes to go! WOW! I am shocked at how good this is.

 

Next Five Minutes: They trade shots at each other's weaknesses, great selling all around. AJ hits the enziguiri, but he is stuck writhing in pain by the time he gets up Roode is able to hit a spinebuster for two. Roode back to the leg, but AJ kicks his bad shoulder with his good leg. Then the greatest thing ever happens.

 

Roode catapults AJ who LANDS ON ONE FREAKING LEG ON THE TURNBUCKLES COMES OFF WITH A QUEBRADA LANDING ONE FREAKING LEG TO HIT THE INVERTED DDT!!! THAT'S COMMITMENT!!! GREATEST SELLING PERFORMANCE EVER! AJ puts it all on the line hits a Springboard 450 to complete the rally and go up 3-2!!!! Holy Shit! AJ's reaction to this is incredible. You feel like he is in the worst agony imagaineable. AJ fires off headbutts and goes for an armbar takedown, but Roode squirms out and he goes for a single leg. AJ wrenches the arm against the apron and slingshots in for a sunset flip, but Roode drops down and gets the ropes for extra leverage to knot it up at 3-3. Cant wait for the last 5 minutes!

 

Last Five Minutes: AJ IS PISSED! He lunges at Roode and beats the holy hell out of him. Once that burst of anger wears off, his pain in his knee overtakes him. Tries Superplex, but settles for an armdrag off the top. Goes for a suplex, but Roode kicks him in the bum knee. Fisherman's Suplex Attempt-cradle-KICKOUT, PELE FROM OUT OF NOWHERE! GO AJ GO! Styles Clash and OH MY GOD AJ'S KNEE BUCKLES! Like I literally gasped the way he buckled his knee. Holy shit. Roode says fuck this noise with 90 seconds left and heads for the outside. AJ says Fuck it too and just dives out onto him. The way he sells the impact is just money. Holy shit great! The finish is Roode stalling for a draw with AJ chasing after him more like limping after him. Tie goes to the champion, Bobby Roode retains.

 

Not for one second in a thirty minute match did AJ let up on selling his leg. AJ worked a completely different match doing almost ZERO of his typical spots. Relying completely on selling, punches and what the match gave him. Total pro. Honest to God, one of the top tier individual performances I have ever seen in a pro wrestling match. Greatest TNA match in history and one of the greatest matches in history. *****

[GOTNW]

Man you are on an island with this one. Conscensus was that it was good in a three+ starish way. I also have some pretty peculiar opinions so I won't attack you or anything, your rating intrigues me and makes me want to revisit the match

[JerryvonKramer]

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode vs AJ Styles - TNA Final Resolution 2011 30 Minute Iron Man

 

The video package before the match was fantastic. I loved Roode's parents condemning Roode's actions and that they did not raise their child to be like this. I loved Roode's wife staying he is not the one here at home that has to explain to their children why their daddy is a cheater. Great touch. Spitting on Dixie and then taking on AJ's knee. Hell they are trying to get Roode over as the top heel I will give them that!

 

First ten minutes: AJ Styles gives a ***** sell job of his knee. Maybe the greatest ten minute selling of the knee I have ever seen period. What makes it so great? We all know Kawada in 12/3/93 and Savage from SNME 11/87 against Bret, those are great "my knee is totally fucked, I cant do anything performances". AJ puts a twist on this. This is a great "my knee has been injured before the match and it is affecting every single thing I do" performance. They trade waistlocks at the beginning Roode gets a drop toehold and AJ scrambles and immediately favors the knee. Every single time he runs; he runs with a limp. The way he throws chops and shouldertackles he favors the knee. He is using side headlocks to control the match because it is the one thing he can do that does not hurt his knee. When he needs to escape out of a headscissors, he bridges on ONE LEG and then kicks out in such a way that his left leg feels no impact. Taz points this out too and kudos to him. To paraphrase Taz, this selling has been simply phenomenal pun intended. We saw in the last match AJ constantly being on the attack and suffocating Roode. Here Roode can take walks and AJ does nothing about it because he does not want to risk his leg. Another way Roode can dictate the match now. I am not exaggerating or kidding when I say literally ever MOVEMENT that AJ does that could affect the leg he sells. In the corner, Roode crowds and picks the leg so AJ clamps on a front chancery. The tension is so high in this match because you know AJ's knee is going to get fucked, but you don't know when and as a big AJ fan you don't want it to happen. They have been teasing it, but he is still standing. Nice nearfall barrage, AJ favors knee on hiptoss and armdrag, but his hesitation costs him as Roode gets a shoulder tackle. Roode hits a kneecrusher, fuck...AJ avoids elbow on knee...AJ clamps on side headlock, but is in visible pain. He is a gamer and is trying to fight through it. Roode chopblocks the knee while AJ is in the ropes and Roode picks up the win. To go up 1-0.

The first fall was ten minutes. The greatest ten minute match I have ever seen. I would give it ***** without a doubt. I am actually scared to watch the next twenty minutes because AJ wrestled at such a high level for the first ten minutes.

 

Next Five Minutes: WHO AM I TO DOUBT AJ STYLES? We are halfway through and still totally at the ***** clip! AJ fights through the pain roaring back with vicious punches and chop. Roode is totally overwhelmed in the corner and goes to the eyes. AJ is a sitting duck and Roode clips the leg and AJ is down in pain. Roode tortures AJ. I love AJ's selling mixed with his fighting spirit. He never drops the selling for one second, but he never dies either. He fighting back with chops and punches but through the pain. You can see that pain etched on his face. Roode always has the ability to stymie AJ with a knee attack. AJ goes for the rana off his back, but has no strength in his knee and this leads to a Single leg crab...so dramatic watching AJ make the ropes. Only for him to succumb to the figure-4. Incredible, incredible, incredible. This is the pro wrestling I live for! I am excited for the next fifteen minutes!

 

Next Five Minutes: So you know something had to break AJ's way otherwise this was just going to be a blowout. AJ kicks Roode off with his good leg and Roode hits the turnbuckle and comes up favoring his shoulder!!!! AJ SINGLE ARM DDT! Landing completely on his back! It is the little things people! Crippler Crossface! Tap out. 2-1 Roode!

Go AJ GO! He goes for a Nagata Style armbar, Roode counters using the tights into a single leg crab and AJ reaches back and rakes the eyes! AJ is going to destroy this arm. He wrenching it in every way and just teeing off on Roode. He is selling his leg like a million bucks. Roode hits a clothesline, but his shoulder is shot and he cant follow it up. Cradle by AJ, 1-2-3! It is all knotted up! Ten minutes to go! WOW! I am shocked at how good this is.

 

Next Five Minutes: They trade shots at each other's weaknesses, great selling all around. AJ hits the enziguiri, but he is stuck writhing in pain by the time he gets up Roode is able to hit a spinebuster for two. Roode back to the leg, but AJ kicks his bad shoulder with his good leg. Then the greatest thing ever happens.

 

Roode catapults AJ who LANDS ON ONE FREAKING LEG ON THE TURNBUCKLES COMES OFF WITH A QUEBRADA LANDING ONE FREAKING LEG TO HIT THE INVERTED DDT!!! THAT'S COMMITMENT!!! GREATEST SELLING PERFORMANCE EVER! AJ puts it all on the line hits a Springboard 450 to complete the rally and go up 3-2!!!! Holy Shit! AJ's reaction to this is incredible. You feel like he is in the worst agony imagaineable. AJ fires off headbutts and goes for an armbar takedown, but Roode squirms out and he goes for a single leg. AJ wrenches the arm against the apron and slingshots in for a sunset flip, but Roode drops down and gets the ropes for extra leverage to knot it up at 3-3. Cant wait for the last 5 minutes!

 

Last Five Minutes: AJ IS PISSED! He lunges at Roode and beats the holy hell out of him. Once that burst of anger wears off, his pain in his knee overtakes him. Tries Superplex, but settles for an armdrag off the top. Goes for a suplex, but Roode kicks him in the bum knee. Fisherman's Suplex Attempt-cradle-KICKOUT, PELE FROM OUT OF NOWHERE! GO AJ GO! Styles Clash and OH MY GOD AJ'S KNEE BUCKLES! Like I literally gasped the way he buckled his knee. Holy shit. Roode says fuck this noise with 90 seconds left and heads for the outside. AJ says Fuck it too and just dives out onto him. The way he sells the impact is just money. Holy shit great! The finish is Roode stalling for a draw with AJ chasing after him more like limping after him. Tie goes to the champion, Bobby Roode retains.

 

Not for one second in a thirty minute match did AJ let up on selling his leg. AJ worked a completely different match doing almost ZERO of his typical spots. Relying completely on selling, punches and what the match gave him. Total pro. Honest to God, one of the top tier individual performances I have ever seen in a pro wrestling match. Greatest TNA match in history and one of the greatest matches in history. *****

 

Just letting the shock of reading this review settle in.

 

Well, I guess it goes to show that the eye of the beholder is all in these matters. We're pretty night and day on this, it's almost like my review is the Polaroid nagative of yours.

 

There it is. Might be interesting to see where others land. I didn't see anything approaching an all-time match, but Sleaze did.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Parv it is like we watched two different matches.

 

GOTNW, I would love for you to give this a look see when you get a chance.

[JerryvonKramer]

Yeah I just think it would be more interesting to see what others think. It does feel like we watched two different matches, but I can only call it like I see it.

 

I guess I do want the dramatic selling of Steamboat or Bret or Savage (or Kawada or Kobashi or Misawa or Flair or Pat Patterson or Martel or Funk), I've been conditioned as a fan to look for certain things in a selling performance and something about the way that Styles sold in this one just wasn't hitting it for whatever reason. I outlined some of my problems with the psychology (if some are wondering:here). Like I said more heat and atmosphere as well as a better finish might have helped.

 

But other perspectives will make this richer.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I 100% agree with you about the lack of heat. I think it is directly correlated to the match they worked which was radically different than typical TNA match at the time. A match completely based around selling and taking what the match gave you RATHER THAN working through your moveset and hitting highspots. They did not know how to react because they only react for highspots not for the characters themselves. This was a character driven match. If you put a lot of stock in heat like a Kelly Nelson, then this match will not do much for you. I think heat can add to a match, but I think if they play to crickets, but I am hot for it then I still will give it a high rating.

 

I see your point the finish is anti-climatic. I would have put the cheap Roode pinfall to tie at about the one minute mark. I think those are your strongest points. I think I did get so caught up in the uniqueness of the match that I may have overrated it. I will watch it again. Don't see myself going below 4.5, but 4.75 is probably more appropriate given the fact they did not really build to a fever pitch.

[Matt D]

I'm doing this Sleaze Style of Train of Thought.

So the story is that Roode got a haircut and became champ. His presentation is so methodological in the worst way. The voiceover guy is crap too. Oh, cool, they got his dad and mom to say something though. "Why is daddy cheating?" That's great. So is his dad's mustache. They need to use him in WWE as his corner man. Though, this is TNA so he could be an actor. So, they're doing an Ironman match for no reason? That's what this promo package is telling me. "He's a douchebag, so let's do an ironman match to punish you!" Maybe there's an actual story reason to do this but the video package sure didn't tell me. TNA is so dumb.

Hey, Styles doesn't have the moron gloves yet. This is already better than I was expecting. Sting's in chrage? Couldn't I have gotten a Sting promo too? He made the match and he wasn't in the video package at all. Dixie sure was though. Tazz? I love the fact that Parv is using 2001 Tazz, fully developed in his fanfiction project set in 1991, when he was, at best, the Tasmaniac and not speaking English. Madness. Sorry, distracted. Roode is walking out. I thought he had a haircut? It's grown back already? This isn't Glorious. That's literally the biggest draw for me going to NXT live in Baltimore next month. GLORIOUS. God Borash's eyes are so creepy. He's the Peter Lorre of wrestling announcing. Brian Hebner's head is too thin too. I liked how Styles spread his arms out as each part of his name was announced, but his wingspan couldn't last to the Styles. Presentation-wise, Roode is such a poor man's HHH. I'd be worried if I was whoever Hunter's current Chosen One on Raw was. Oh, thanks Tenay. The worst thing he did was spit on Dixie. Of course it was.

Alright, let's get to this already. I've got 30 minutes? God Marty. Sliding about, waist lock, playing with the fingers. There's a sense of struggle here early with this feeling out. Drop toehold, and Styles sells the leg on it. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone sell a leg like that on a drop toe hold. I liked that. I'm not calling everything. Roode's working a headlock well though. That's an ok way to start this. Roode will seem in control and AJ will outwrestle him. I like Roode doing jumping jacks. So far he seems like he's not hesitant or overthinking his character. Great, back to the headlock. I was worried he'd start doing something else. They've got 30 minutes to kill. This is a good way to do it. AJ should get floored again here as they go out of this, and then Roode should get him back in and then the third time AJ can... ok, AJ has the headlock on himself. Fine, just skip time-tested stuff that works. Whatever.

That aside, they're working this well. I think there really should have been a moment of transition where AJ took over the headlock and showed Roode up that didn't happen. It hurts. Now we're into the shine where he's got the headlock on himself. Parallel spot where he gets the shoulder block. Three of them. Three is good. There's a rule of three. And at the ~5 minute mark, Roode goes down to the floor. A bit of stalling. He should have probably done more. The clock is the enemy here to some degree. Instead, we get a tease at heat with him being underhanded with the unclean break in the corner. This leads to the chops and the story that Roode went to the cheap-cheaty-ness too early and paying for it. It's all mind games though as after the back body drop, he lands an eye poke on an enraged AJ and tosses him out. This would have been a great moment for King of the Mountain. Instead, they have it come to naught again, with AJ reversing the shot to the guardrail and staying on him.

This all feels just a little meandering to me. Roode nails him on the way in and they basically go three times before Roode can take over, only doing it once he starts on the leg. It was maybe a little much. I get the story is that Roode is the being underhanded but... wait, that hope spot from AJ had AJ landing right on the leg that Roode had targeted a second ago so that they can go into a bunch of two count roll ups? Really? And then towards the end of it, AJ starts selling again for no reason? This is not a clean narrative. And at the end of it, with AJ selling on offense (which I generally like), he ends with a babyface chinlock into a headlock. I'm ten in and while there are things to like, I'm still iffy.

That doesn't mean they can't turn it around. AJ's selling is progressive and that's good. It's more and more each time he lands on the leg and Roode keeps going to it. A lot of times the destination makes the journey make more sense. That's the problem in watching a match like this. And here it ended with AJ continuing to try stupid things that put pressure on his leg, selling more and more, and Roode taking it out on the ropes for a cheap pin. That worked, but then AJ's right back on top, not inorganically, as Roode went for the leg and AJ out wrestled him to stay in control, but sometimes logic isn't the cleanest/best story. I think the story here IS mainly consistent. Roode took back over by raking the eyes again. He's so consistently cheap and cheating, using that as bridges to go back to the leg which he can't get over on through his skills alone (because AJ is so good).

Anyway, I think we're finally into some real heat, about 1/3rd the way in, which feels somewhat appropriate. Let's hope AJ's hope spots are just that, even if he sneaks a pin out of it. He had a hope spot, but Roode cut it off with a kick. Disappointing he didn't use the leg to cut him off. The next hope spot came a little quick but he DID use the leg to cut him off that time. And again, maybe that's because he didn't use the leg for the first cut off; maybe that let AJ come back again so quickly. It all does feel consistent. The next hope spot/fight back came a little too quick again,but AJ was selling the leg heavily. Again, my hope is that they're building to longer lengths of heat each time as a way to carry the time.

Alright, now we're at the halfway mark and the heat is really on with submissions, first the crab, and then the figure four. Not the world's best figure four. AJ tapped and Tazz points out that he should have done it already. Good point but probably doesn't help the babyface. Very monsoony. 2-0.

Heat sticks on. Roode takes his time, goes after the leg still. Kick, Chop Block, plays to the crowd. Good use of negative space here. AJ's selling well, writhing around the ring. Annoyingly slow figure four attempt. Seemed like ineptitude, not arrogance, and he got tossed off. Roode's selling the shoulder. And, oh, that's cute, AJ's jumping arm breaker. Great Equalizer, Crossface. He probably should have gone with some arm move which wasn't leg-related, though he does sell his after the fact. 2-1. Duel Limb Selling is one of my favorite stories in wrestling. AJ's doing a great job selling as he attacks. I don't think his holds look all that great though, and not due to the selling. Kind of weird. Roode's back to the leg too soon. He should be showing ass more here, even if AJ is ultimately in charge. This went back to even too early. I think they have to go to spots in the next ten minutes. Too much so. We'll see.

Styles stays in control. Roode tries the eyepoke again but no. AJ's ignoring his selling to lean into spots, which is the world we live in now. Cradle out of nowhere after one of those Roode spots for 3. This bit with the arm should have lasted longer. Now we're going into the last ten minutes at 2-2 and obviously this is going to be even. That said, it's fun stuff, with both guys hitting at each other's weak point.

Ok. Here comes the moves. Roode spinebuster first though he sells the arm afterwards. I think they could have gotten here a little bit better, but I'm not upset where they are now. They don't go to moves. That's a surprise. They go to Roode going for the leg again but Styles being able to stop him. That's not a bad story for this point of the match. That Styles catapult to the second, landing on one leg, and bounding back with the death drop was actually beautiful. Then the springboard 450 that costs him to get the pin. 3-2. That felt like the inversion of when Rude got himself DQ'd in 92 to do more damage. It's the babyface version. Hurt yourself to get the pin. Very much in character. AJ's selling hasn't been perfect here but it's still very good and conscientious.

A minute later and the 450 didn't hurt Styles nearly as much as it should have. Roode had a few temporary advantages but Styles was able to get out of things still. It ended with Roode holding the rope for a pin though and the crowd chants bullshit because the heel cheated, which was nice. That PROBABLY wouldn't have worked if he had earned that pinfall more because Styles was weaker, so I guess what they did worked. It just feels slightly off. 3-3.

AJ has some righteous fury at the 4 minute mark for how Roode pinned him. He goes for the superplex, gets shrugged off, and then runs up for an arm drag. I swear I saw Octagon and Fuerza do that better today in their 60s. AJ is definitely better at selling than Roode. Pele kick feels like a bit moment of babyface fury. I love how AJ sold the knee buckling on the Clash attempt. It looked completely unreal and unexpected but in the best way. It was visually better than what a real buckle would look like.

And then Roode rolls out to regroup and AJ follows it up with a flip dive? That's an odd creative choice. (Edit: The story there was that Styles was courageous and just wanted to take it to Roode no matter the cost and Roode was chickenshit. Still, it's a leap, literally). 17 seconds left and Roode just runs out. He's going to run the clock out and AJ can't get him due to the hurt leg, which is such a logical finish but one you never see. If you buy into the overarching story that AJ is so kayfabe better than Roode that Roode has to not just capitalize on the injury but cheat too to get him this works.

Alright, yeah, from a narrative point of view, I was into the match. Everything that I DIDN'T like about this, save for the fact I thought Styles should have worked on the arm longer when he first came back, was done the way it was done to get across Roode's character as being weak and cheap and cowardly and vulnerable while making AJ look like a massive world beater ace in defeat. It was hugely effective in that regard, and at the same time, AJ's performance was nuanced enough with such attention to selling at almost every point, that the finish seemed believable. Without that, AJ would have come off looking foolish or week. Instead, he came off as all the stronger. If there was five more minutes, you had the sense that he would have absolutely won. Total commitment to character here, maybe even at the cost of traditional star rating "points" for something far more important. Significant purpose-driven match as opposed to one that is, on paper, set up to be "an all time classic." But it did what it was supposed to do (which given the setting, the people involved, and the task at hand was actually very challenging with a big potential payoff down the road, even if TNA could never capitalize on anything) extremely well and that's hugely important to me.

I'm closer to Marty than Parv on this one actually.

[Jimmy Redman]

Y'all have piqued my interest. I never watched this match at the time, so here goes.

 

Wow, and it's all coming back to me now. I remember them doing those interviews with Roode's family and his wife talking about how his heel turn was affecting their home life and trying to explain daddy being an asshole to her kids. That shit was fucking great, I loved that they tried to show some real life, serious consequences to someone's actions on a wrestling show. I remember that being the first time I felt OK about the whole thing, since at the time I was pretty bummed that they went the way they did with the booking and Roode losing at BFG after all the BFG Series build. In the end Roode turning heel was the right thing for everyone, but it was still hard to sit through.

 

And yeah Parv TNA's production and aesthetic was always kind of stuck in 2001. Part of its charm, if we want to call it that.

 

So the match.

 

Firstly, I agree with Sleaze in that AJ's selling of the leg was technically perfect and super consistent and fascinating with all of the little touches he added to it. The early stuff like getting out of the headscissors with one leg, always positioning himself to take pressure off the knee, landing and bumping on one leg...it was all very cool and interesting to watch. It was exceptional commitment to selling a body part, and trying to figure out and express how it was affecting everything he did in the ring. That divorce court with no legs landing on his back, and the one-legged backflip DDT, that shit was awesome.

 

I feel like AJ's New Japan/WWE run has eliminated most of this talk, but for anyone who still thinks that AJ Styles is some kind of spotmonkey, or a mindless flippydo, or that he can't do old school shit like sell the leg like a motherfucker, or punch fools in the face, or have a bloody brawl, or tell some real stories...he can do it all, as well as being exceptionally physically talented with all the moves. He's one of the most complete ring workers of this generation.

 

So AJ sold the leg like a champ. I totally disagree with Parv that he stopped and started. It was great and consistent selling.

 

However. Having said all that, all of the leg selling in the world still didn't make for a particularly compelling match.

 

I mean, it just wasn't that great a match. It was fine enough and it kept my interest, mainly because I was interested in watching AJ sell the leg. But on the whole it never reached anything beyond good. It didn't feel like it escalated, it wasn't exciting...I really felt nothing watching it.

 

Bobby Roode has to be one of the blandest main event wrestlers ever. Who the fuck had the bright idea to have him work for 30 minutes?? He's way too boring for that shit, especially since he had to be on top and control AJ for most of it. He was a whole bunch of fucking NOTHING on offense. Just mind numbingly boring. He's so fucking lucky that "GLORIOUS" is the greatest thing in the whole world, because without it people would realise a lot sooner that he's bland as beige and he'd hit his WWE ceiling pretty quickly. I mean, it will happen eventually, but he has a fun entrance so we'll let it slide for now. But yeah. The idea of Bobby Roode is fine until you get to the part where you have to watch Bobby Roode wrestle.

 

There are also the typical late-era TNA problems of an embarrassingly dead crowd and soporific announcing. I mean Taz was REALLY good in the beginning dissecting AJ's leg injury and how he was working around it, he added a lot, but by the end you're looking to the commentary to get over the excitement of the final stretch, and they were...half asleep. But I suppose it reflected the match because there was a shocking lack of drama at the finish. It didn't feel like the match ever got out of the first gear of the early stages. They just kept going at the same pace, same leg selling, then more selling with the arm, and then there was one big dive, followed by a shitty deflating finish. AJ fired up at one point at like the 28 minute mark, but it was too little too late. And the crowd couldn't give a shit.

 

It was pretty much that era of TNA in microcosm: AJ is amazing, but between the crowds, the announcing, the production, the booking and the mediocre workers...he's pushing against the ocean trying to create something great.

 

Sorry Sleaze, AJ is fucking great but I'm not on board with this being a lost classic of TNA.

[Superstar Sleeze]

If people love Glorious so much, there is a whole genre called Power Metal and it is GLORIOUS! I had not heard this until both Matt & Stacey brought it up. Yeah that sounds like the best Iced Earth, Stratovarius song ever. Whats funny is between Ascension (best Morbid Angel/Death Metal song ever), Seth Rollins (best Slipknot/Metalcore song ever), Jim Johnston has to be the greatest heavy metal song producer of the 2010s. If you throw in Shawn Michaels' theme (Johnston did that right?), that is a legit great Glam Metal song. He should have done a Black Metal song for the Stinger.

 

I want to thank everyone for watching.

 

Stacey, I see your point and I think this is not a match that is supposed to stir a great deal of emotion in you. I think AJ was keeping everything alive but completely dying and the Roode shoulder injury was enough to keep the match close. If the TNA fans were not stupid idiots and were rabid for AJ to win, I think it would be a better match. They are invested in the highspots. not characters.

Matt, I think you are a little harsh on the outset. AJ comes into the match with a bum knee, he is doing what he can to protect it, but at the end of the day he does have to try to win the match. He is saving himself by not giving chase to Roode and by using the side headlock. Still he has to do shouldertackles, which he sells the knee and he needs to bring it to Roode, fighting through the pain. I think we agree for the most part on the latter stages. I think I was a little more into the selling performance than you but we agree it was a consistent narrative.

I think it is a difficult, challenging and jarring match to watch because it is very different than typical pro wrestling. It does not build to righteous babyface fury. In fact it is incredibly anti-climatic. But given the context of the match, I don't think it could. AJ was too hurt to ever really gives us that performance. There were highspots like Springboard 450 and the righteous fury after the cheap win, but they were all he could give due to his knee. I don't think there are too many pro wrestling matches structured this way. I think it is another reason to watch it because at the very least it is unique.

[Jimmy Redman]

The new songs are by CFO$, but I agree with your point.

 

I can appreciate it being unique structurally, and I mean I don't regret watching it because AJ's performance was interesting, but I think that on the flipside there's an argument that there's a reason why there aren't many wrestling matches worked this way. And that's because it's not really conducive to compelling, entertaining matches. Sometimes all the logic and realistic selling and micro work doesn't add up to make the best match in the macro. I did feel like it was anti-climactic, and lacked drama, and I get WHY it did based on what they were doing, but understanding it doesn't make me feel any more entertained, if that makes sense. I like the idea of it, but not so much in reality.

[Matt D]

I would stress that again. It's non-traditional. It's there to establish a character, to hammer home Roode's new persona, to set things up for the future, to give the babyface the moral high ground for the chase. It's a hard match to compare against more traditional stories. I really wonder about why they chose an Ironman match for this. It's making life way too hard for themselves. I think they could have used the time a little bit better. Roode wasn't dynamic. He had performance issues, but I think he deserves a lot of credit for staying on focus. He hit his marks. Maybe someone else could have done it more dynamically, but the match never lost its narrative thread.

 

I also want to stress again that they got a bullshit chant due to a cheating pinfall in the middle of an ironman match (so it wasn't even the final finish) in 2011, in front of a sort of smarky crowd. Not because THEY PUT THAT GUY OVER! but because a heel cheated against a babyface who was outwrestling him. For all of the general deadness of the crowd, that is hugely impressive. You can't sleep on that.

 

It's a great thought experiment and a great way to get heat on Roode and make Styles look strong, both in losing and in chasing. It's a match that was meant to set up a drawing run. That's what wrestling is all about. It doesn't have to be either/or, of course. I think it's more entertaining than people are giving it credit for, but they did probably screw up the last couple of minutes for that last sense of drama. They could have set up Roode running away better. In part, that was the point though. It was about Roode running away and killing the drama. A wrestler isn't supposed to do that. He's not supposed to be able to run out the clock like that. It makes the fans feel robbed in a way where the heat is on the heel, not on the company.

 

Yeah, I'm more than okay with this. Entertaining doesn't trump effective. (Though ideally something is both, but Styles made it entertaining, just not as much so as it could have been).

[Mrzfn]

I feel like Roode didn't fully click as a singles guy until mid 2012, when he started pulling out consistently strong performances. Would be fascinated to see them match up today, to compare/contrast.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I thought about this some more and I agree with Stacey this more of an outstanding individual performance than a great match. Like if this was cinema, AJ Styles would be nominated for best actor, but the movie itself would not fare well. Still I feel the match should be rewarded. So I retract 5 stars and will downgrade to ****1/2, but I am glad I overreacted and got you all to watch. It was a fun conversation. We should do it again sometime!

[Matt D]

I think it would have gotten a screenplay award too in that case.

[Jimmy Redman]

Haha true, every now and then someone should volunteer to go wildly insane about some match to goad people into reviewing it too.

 

Outside of current day stuff and yearbooks/sets we don't really have that shared viewing and discussing experience.

[Loss]

Haha true, every now and then someone should volunteer to go wildly insane about some match to goad people into reviewing it too.

 

Outside of current day stuff and yearbooks/sets we don't really have that shared viewing and discussing experience.

 

Ultimately, I see this as the way to keep PWO's value as conversation generally moves more and more toward social media.

[JerryvonKramer]

I thought about this some more and I agree with Stacey this more of an outstanding individual performance than a great match. Like if this was cinema, AJ Styles would be nominated for best actor, but the movie itself would not fare well. Still I feel the match should be rewarded. So I retract 5 stars and will downgrade to ****1/2, but I am glad I overreacted and got you all to watch. It was a fun conversation. We should do it again sometime!

 

Stardust

[ShittyLittleBoots]

This features an absolutely amazing selling performance by AJ Styles - seriously phenomenal stuff by the man. Might be Roode's finest hour when it comes to his heel work on top too, he actually didn't come off as boring in this one (I give much credit to AJ for that). Truly an excellent match, quite possibly the best one in TNA history. ****3/4