TNA Final Resolution 2009 Final Thoughts

So, TNA's 2009 is done, at least on Pay Per View, as they still have their four-hour Impact New Years Eve.  After a strange year, they capped it with what must be considered a very good show.

The opening match set a good tone for the night, as it was a lot of fun.  Motor City Machine Guns did a great job of exciting the crowd, even in defeat to the British Invasion.  After that we got our one title change of the night, as Tara became Knockouts Champion.  While the matches from there on to the two main events weren't great, they all served a purpose.

Matt Morgan coming out ahead of both of Team 3-D alone made him look great and partially makes up for all the jobs the young guys have been doing.  It could have been less predictable, sure, but it was still quite effective.  Lashley finished off Steiner and now can focus on his title shot, while Samoa Joe earned a title shot of his own.  The best worker in the company, he should be in a featured spot.  Kevin Nash getting the Tag Title shot is smart, as TNA can now tease the NWO.  With Hulk Hogan coming in, teasing Scott Hall makes for good television. Even Foley was helped, free of his hardcore feud to ready himself for Hulk Hogan. Then came the main events.

Desmond Wolfe and Kurt Angle had great chemistry, though the screwy gimmick seemed to effect them quite a bit.  Wolfe winning the first fall, where a normal match would end, and barely losing the last kept him strong.  Many certainly enjoyed this more than I, and I've heard Match of the Year clamor already.  I thought it was very good and with some smarter selling/better pacing at the end could have been truly special. Wolfe should now be solidly atop the card, but lacks any faces to really work with, unless Matt Morgan or Hernandez become free. It'd be interesting to see if he could carry either of those two as neither are like the guys he regularly carried in ROH.  As for Kurt Angle, it appears he has a date with the World's Champion.

Daniels looked the best he has since at least 2005 tonight.  He had to bring his character to the fore, which he did early, and use his smart, focused attack to make AJ seem threatened, even though Daniels is far below him on the card.  Daniels used his back work to seem a legitimate threat perfectly, and only AJ forgetting to sell the back a bit at the end really hurt the match.  Styles for his part, was crisp and managed to sell during some of his key offense.  That was great to make Daniels look dangerous and apparently now it's time for AJ Styles to face an Olympic Gold Medalist.

TNA has done a great job at developing Wolfe, Daniels, and Joe as heel threats.  If this isn't forgotten or pushed aside, the undercard could have numerous great matches.  Hernandez, Matt Morgan and even (hopefully) Robert Roode, who seems a future star, could benefit from working with top heels and make the undercard stand out as much as the current main event does.  If this is the case, the rest of the company can be as good as this Pay Per View was.  Thumbs up to TNA for a good, smart effort.