Hulk Hogan makes his return to pay-per-view this Sunday when TNA presents Genesis, live from the Impact Zone. Not sure how Hulk feels making that huge return to pay-per-view on a sound stage.
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If you read the latest iMPACT! recap written by HTR’s Shane Howard, then you read that the build for this event was pretty non-existent before Thursday night. Heck, if you were watching TNA for the last three weeks or so, you wouldn’t have known a pay-per-view was coming. It was all Hogan, all the time.
Nevertheless, there are eight matches on the card and the show will go on, great build or no great build.
Wow. The X Division Champion was gone from iMPACT! for a month before we saw him in that convoluted Steel Asylum match back on Jan. 4th. As per the norm, Red was absent from TV this week. Still, he has a match against a mystery opponent at Genesis.
Is this another one of Hogan’s friends who get to walk into the company hanging on Hulk’s coattails? Or do they randomly select one of their youngsters to attempt to excite the crowd, as I am sure this is the show’s opener. Red will be exciting and should leave with the title still around his waist.
Projected Winner: Amazing Red
Much like the first match on this card, this match came out of nowhere. There has been no involvement between Abyss and Lashley up to this point. Lashley and his girlfriend/wife Kristal are trying to get the attention of Eric Bischoff so they can get released from their contract. Don’t know if this is kayfabe or what since Lashley has the deal with Strikeforce now. If it is legit, I say thank you. I like Lashley but not in wrestling.
Abyss has been busy with Dr. Stevie, Raven, and Daffney for the last few weeks. Now, he gets a match with Lashley. Do we get interference from Stevie & Co.? I doubt it. I’m thinking Lashley makes short work of the monster Abyss, much like how TNA has booked Lashley.
Projected Winner: Bobby Lashley
3. Daniels vs. Sean Morley
Hmm, Daniels goes from exciting the crowd two pay-per-views in a row in world title matches to facing off with the man formerly known as Val Venis. I love the elevation here. This is reminding me of Daniels having the match with Shane Douglas back at Slammiversary.
Morley is the face in this match but I can’t find myself cheering for him. His promo on iMPACT! sounded sleazy and made me think he was coming in as a heel. Yet, when Daniels attacked him, the crowd backed Morley. Whatever!
I’m thinking that one of Hogan’s boys will have to win a match and but it won’t be Morley. Daniels goes back to floundering around the midcard, I guess.
Projected Winner: Daniels
These two had a good, short match on the live Monday night show and I expect the same thing here.
HTR am taking the credit for Dinero’s sudden push. Yes, I know the man’s talent and the crowd’s backing probably helped, but there was an article here on Pope being the future of TNA. We are quite sure that Dixie Carter read that article and listened to us. It’s nice to dream, right?
Anyway, Wolfe needs a win on the bigger stage. He’s only won matches on iMPACT! since debuting in TNA. This is why I am going with Wolfe to get the victory here. Nonetheless, the fans should be chanting “This is awesome”, “This is wrestling”, and other sayings to show their delight in the match.
Projected Winner: Desmond Wolfe
5. ODB© vs. Tara (TNA Knockouts Championship Match)
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These two women have went back and forth in their rivalry, each taking the title from the other once. Tara won the title back at Final Resolution but that reign last two weeks. That is quite sad. Tara is one of the better women wrestlers in TNA and is worthy of a longer reign. Especially when the match she lost the title in was so bad.
ODB is still stale and I would prefer this feud to end here and now. So, let ODB win on Sunday and get a decent reign. I rather not see the title change hands so quickly, again.
Projected Winner: ODB
Anybody got odds on Hall showing up for the pay-per-view? I kid, I kid. No, seriously, I want in on that action. Ha!
TNA’s best tag team (I say this but MCMG is still my top) should not be wrestling these two former nWo members. Nash is awesome on the microphone but at this stage of the game he doesn’t need to be wrestling. He doesn’t move as he did. As for Hall, I am not sure what we will see out of him.
Beer Money wants revenge for being laid out by Hall, Nash, and Sean Waltman back on Jan. 4th. Yes, that is reason enough for having this match but that doesn’t mean that I want to see it.
Expect BMI to carry this match, expect interference from Waltman, and expect this to be the match where Hogan’s boys win. Much to my chagrin.
Projected Winner: Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
Where have the Brits been? We haven’t seen the tag champs since the New Year’s Eve show when they were on commentary during the Knockouts tag team match. Matter of fact, where have the entire squad of The World Elite been?
Hernandez and Morgan are a part of TNA’s future but they seemed to have been going backwards lately. They need to stay in the spotlight and I think the tag titles is the way to do it.
TBI has gotten loads better and deserve to be featured more on TV. However, I think this pay-per-view needs to have a title change hands and I am going to pick this match to deliver.
Projected Winner: Hernandez and Matt Morgan
The stipulation here is that if Angle loses he won’t get another shot at the championship for the year, as long as Styles is champion. Angle told Styles on iMPACT! that all he needs is one more chance so the stipulation is moot.
These two have always delivered when they are in there together. Jan. 4th proved that. My only fear is that we might not have seen the last of Styles’ attacker, Tomko. I prefer this match to go without interference.
Styles should, and must, retain here. Since being champion he still has yet to be given the proper spotlight. He continues to be overshadowed by other angles or people on the show. That is not how you should treat the champion.
Angle will lose and go on to have feuds that can elevate other talent. Perhaps he gets involved in the brewing feud between Hogan and Jeff Jarrett.
This could be an early match of the year candidate. Make it happen, TNA.
Projected Winner: AJ Styles
Many might be anticipating this pay-per-view to see what happens with Hogan and his boys. Only the Dinero/Wolfe and Styles/Angle match intrigues me. The card is not that strong, in my opinion. This might be why TNA is promising the debut of a major name at the show. Maybe that intrigue gets them a few hundred more in the buyrates. By the way, our money is on Mr. Kennedy Anderson.