Hardcore Justice 2011 Review: Five Title Matches, Two New Champs, More Results

Hello everybody, and welcome to a special pay-per-view review! I'm your host, Charlie Groenewegen!

Wait.

Is the world ending? Is it Christmas? No and no. It's a special Hardcore Justice pay-per-view review! My first ever pay-per-view review, and this looks to be a great show.

Hardcore Justice.

The show kicks off an interestingly enough. The ropes are red, the ring apron says, "TNA Wrestling" on one side and on the other it says, "Direct Auto Insurance." I thought we were blue ropes and IMPACT Wrestling!

Match 1: X Division Championship—Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley vs. Brian Kendrick

Shelley comes out first to the same old entrance. Aries comes out next, sporting a new jacket and apparently is Taz's man.

The last man out is the X Division Champion himself, Brian Kendrick.

Kendrick debuts a new theme song, similar to that of Yoshi Tatsu. With the new entrance theme comes new ring attire.

Taz describes the attire as a tablecloth. You know what, that works. Kendrick is wearing a combination of Jack Evans parachute pants and a tablecloth.

Kendrick's new theme is definitely better than his old one and is pretty catchy, to be honest. No, you know what, Kendrick's pants look straight out of Sabu's closet. Case closed.

The beginning of the match has a lot of technical wrestling between Shelley and Kendrick, while Aries is outside the ring picking his spots or getting beaten off the apron by Shelley.

Aries had a nice Lionsault during the match.

It was a good match.

Aries hit Shelley with a Brain Buster and went for a pin. Kendrick broke it up and hit a Sliced Bread on Aries who landed on Shelley.

Aries rolled out of the ring and Kendrick pinned Shelley.

Winner: Still X Division Champion, Brian Kendrick!

Mike Tenay, Taz and myself agree (Yes I'm sitting right next to them at the announce table) that Aries was the most dominant in this match.

For those wondering, I'm not sitting with Tenay and Taz. I'm at home...

Match 2: Knockouts Tag title match: Sarita & Rosita vs. Tara & Miss Tessmacher

Mexican America comes out, and Hernandez is carrying a Mexican flag. I guess they stopped that bit where they block a lot of fans' view of the show. Good for them.

Sarita has a new mask. It still looks like Abyss' mask for women—just in the Mexican flags colors.

Earl Hebner kicks Hernandez and Anarquia out from ringside. No matter, we'll see them later, right?

Tara and Tessmacher are dominating early on, and neither Sarita or Rosita wants any part of the match.

Tessmacher pulled Sarita off the apron, and Tara hit a Widow's Peak on Rosita for the win.

Winners: Still champions, Tara & Miss Tessmacher

It was really good Knockouts action. I loved it. Very entertaining, wild match. So much for my Madison Rayne interference prediction.

Are you like me? Have you been wondering what former two-time TNA Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy has been up to? 

Well, here's your answer. Jeff Hardy is searching for something in the woods. 

Is it Big Foot? Is it a Chupacabra? Is it Monty Brown? (Yep. Even on pay-per-view.)

Match 3: BFG Series: The Pope (10) vs. Devon (30)

Matt Morgan is introduced to announce this BFG Series match, since he's injured, and he'll explain the importance of the match.

Bright lights, big pimpin'.

Pope comes out. No usual Pope attire—the jacket and glasses and whatnot. Dinero bucks comes down, but Pope doesn't even flinch.

Pope says he respects Devon and doesn't want to hurt their "friendship" by having this match. Pope lays down for Devon.

Devon tells Pope to get up so he can kick his ass and be seven points richer.

After a great back-and-forth match, Pope gets the win.

Winner: The Pope (17)

Pope went for a DDE but stopped for some reason. Devon nailed him with a huge spear then went for a choke slam.

Yeah, Devon tried a choke slam.

Pope landed behind Devon and got a roll-up win.

Roll-up Count for this month: four.

RVD is backstage with JB talking about his match with Crimson later on. Jerry Lynn shows up? He says he's the eyes in the back of RVD's head. Last I checked, Crimson isn't heel, so why does RVD need back-up?

Match 4: Knockouts title match: Winter vs. Mickie James

The Knockouts earlier tonight were red-hot and put on a great match. Let's see how Mickie and Winter do tonight.

Winter and Angelina come out.

Then Mickie comes out in new attire. She's looking hot in a skirt, but I prefer the denim shorts and plaid shirt. She looks a bit school girl-y tonight. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the match.

The match is going on with minor interference by Angelina. She did sneak in a kick or two, but that's it. The match is going good.

Hebner is checking on Winter in the corner, and Mickie is paying no attention to Angelina. Love comes in and hits her finisher.

Her finisher is pretty sick.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Tenay called it the "Break-up B*tch." Interesting.

Winter pins but only for two.

Later on, Angelina distracts Hebner, and Winter spits in Mickie's face! Mickie freaks out and falls down. Winter goes for the pin and gets a three!

 

Winner: New champion, Winter!

The crap Winter spit in Mickie's face was red. Blood or mist, pick your poison. But someone's clearly been hanging out with Gangrel.

Mickie says she can't see, and to call in the medics! Somebody needs to wipe her face dry with a napkin. Tenay says we'll have more on the matter later.

We're backstage with Kendrick and JB. Kendrick isn't so bad on the mic right now. Aries shows up, and Kendrick is annoyed.

Aries talks about the unwritten "Code of Honor" (that sounds familiar) between the X Division guys. Aries says that their match was more of a handicap match, since Shelley and Kendrick teamed up on him, which is true.

Aries wants Kendrick one-on-one because he never beat Aries. Until then, Kendrick isn't a real champion. Aries gives Kendrick a towel and tells him to shower because he looks like he's homeless.

Match 5: BFG Series: Crimson (40) vs. RVD (35)

It's No. 1 vs. No. 2, and RVD has Jerry Lynn in his corner for some strange reason.

Wait a second. It's a BFG Series match, and Matt Morgan isn't announcing to give his expert Bound For Glory Series analysis?

Crimson better check to see if all his teeth are intact because he just got kicked in the face really hard! Twice!

I'm convinced that the audience in the IMPACT Zone is full of idiots. It's dead quiet, and it's been a good, entertaining match so far. Anyone reading this that attended the event, yeah, don't be so shy next time.

Just as I write that an RVD chant starts. Magic? I think so. Madison Rayne at my house!

...Nope, just a coincidence.

RVD hits a Five Star, but Crimson kicks out at two!

The match goes on, the crowd sucks, the match is good.

Crimson ducks a head kick attempt by RVD and hits Red Sky or Sky Red. His finisher, okay?

Pin fall. One, two, thr-

Jerry Lynn jumps in and breaks up the pin. Crimson wins by disqualification.

Winner: By disqualification, Crimson (43)

The crowd was entirely behind RVD. No love for Crimson tonight.

Jerry Lynn forced Crimson to take three points instead of the full seven for a pin. Crimson is pissed but at the same time, Lynn just gave RVD a DQ loss. That's minus 10 for RVD!

RVD is arguing with Lynn. 

Lynn says he was trying to help and got caught up in the moment. RVD says that he just lost, "like 10 or a gazillion points!"  RVD is down 10 points and is now in fifth place!

Mr. Anderson is backstage with JB, explaining two types of a**holes. Cool. It's kind of funny though. Anderson said he made being an a**hole cool. He says Bully Ray gives a**hole a bad name.

Match 6: Fortune vs. Immortal

Wow, Christy Hemme is hot!

Gunner is standing outside the ring, while Fortune is playing the crowd before the opening bell. Behind Gunner is a guy holding a sign that says "Gunner = Garbage." Gunner gets pissed and takes the sign.

AJ Styles and Kazarian are wearing similar tights. (Just thought you should know who the close Fortune mates are.)

So far, the match is great, with lots of back-and-forth action. 

Kazarian hit Abyss with a huge, over-the-top rope suicide dive. This match has turned into a brawl on the outside.

Gunner and Steiner set a table up outside the ring. Tables!

The match continues, and it is a great one. Very entertaining.

A few minutes after the table is introduced into this match, it's used. Gunner grabbed AJ in his finisher and was going to throw him off the apron and through the table.

Daniels pushed AJ off Gunner to save his friend. Gunner kicked Daniels and then tackled him off the apron, and both guys went crashing through the tables!

Gunner and Daniels are Audi 5000, my friends.

The moment is holy sh*t chant-worthy, and that's what the IMPACT crowd starts. The "holy sh*t" chants begin.

AJ Styles then springboards off the ropes into a Pele on Abyss for the win.

Winners: Fortune

Really, really great match. IMPACT crowd finally woke up when Daniels and Gunner went through a table. Match of the night candidate, and the show isn't even over!

Abyss is further in the dog house with Immortal. Losing the X Division title and now this. Gunner and Steiner are pissed at him.

Backstage, JB is with Bully Ray. Ray says that it's a mistake that Anderson is in Immortal. He'll beat him out of it, and then he mocks Anderson's entrance.

Match 7: Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson

Anderson comes out and does his usual entrance. Bully Ray walks behind him and starts smiling. Instead of saying Anderson for a second time he says, "Yeah, I know he's behind me" and turns around and starts beating on Bully Ray.

Anderson beats down Bully, then grabs his mic again and belts out his second "Anderson!" then belts Bully with the mic.

This is just a full brawl before the opening bell.

A fan in the crowd has a sign that says, "Why Watch Ever?" Ha, clever. It's the same guy that had his sign stolen from Gunner! That guy's loaded with signs. The one "good" fan in the IMPACT Zone tonight. 

How about, "We Want Entertainment. We want IMPACT?"

Glad to see the IMPACT crowd drank some 5-Hour Energy or something. They're awake for this one.

After Anderson kicked Bully's ass outside the ring, he rolled him into the ring and did the same thing. The match officially started.

The match is just a flat-out back-and-forth brawl. To get more crowd involvement, Bully Ray spits in the air and catches it in his mouth. I'm not lying. I'd be lying if I said I've never done that before, but that's a whole different story.

Anderson went to the top rope, and Bully Ray caught him in mid-air in an RKO-type cutter.

Bully wrapped his chain around his hand and swung at Anderson, who ducked and lifted Bully onto his shoulders. I guess Bully weighs too much for Anderson, and they fall down. Big-time botch followed by a near fall.

Anderson grabs Bully's chain, and he has it now. The referee grabs it and goes to dispose of it. Bully low blows Anderson then rolls him up for the win.

Winner: Bully Ray

Great match. Bully Ray proved how great of a heel he is in this match and got great heat. He's the best heel in wrestling today.

The crowd was fully behind Anderson, and he definitely got the loudest pop up until now.

It wouldn't be pay-per-view without Dumb and Dumber. That's Hulk and Eric, by the way. JB asks them how their night is going.

They're pissed. Bully Ray comes over and is proud of his win, but nobody seems to care. Hogan and Bischoff yell at Abyss. Immortal leaves, Abyss is not invited and looks like he's going to cry.

Please God, don't be on the verge of a face run.

Match 8: Tag Team title—Mexican America vs. Beer Money

Mexican America comes out—the entire crew, and Sarita changed her mask from earlier.

The show wouldn't be complete without Anarquia giving his pre-match thoughts. Their flag is gone, but they bring their own.

The same guy that had the anti-Gunner sign and the anti-WWE sign also has an American flag. I wonder what else he brought.

Hebner wisely sends Sarita and Rosita to the back.

Beer Money was dominant through most of the match. They added a new page in their book. Storm and Roode displayed some high-flying skills tonight.

Anarquia went to the top rope, but Roode pushed him off and right into a Last Call Super kick by Storm.

Winners: Still champions, Beer Money

Great tag team action. Glad to see Beer Money still rolling.

Match 9: World Heavyweight Championship match—Kurt Angle vs. Sting

What a show these two put on. Phenomenal.

Who says that Sting is getting too old?

A great match. It delivered all the hype surrounding it, in my book.

Angle went for an enziguri on Sting, but Sting ducked. Angle hit the ref, and the ref is down. Sting and Angle knock each other down with clotheslines.

Everyone is waiting for another referee to come out, but instead Hulk Hogan does, chair in hand.

Hogan waits for Sting to get up, but Angle grabs the chair from him, and Hulk leaves the ring. Angle then uses the chair on Sting!

Angle pins him and gets a three!

Winner: New champion, Kurt Angle!

It was an awesome match between these veterans. The ending could've been cleaner but whatever gets Kurt the gold. I'm happy.

I don't think Angle will turn heel or join Immortal. In my mind, he did it just to beat Sting and become world champion.

Can't wait to hear the explanation on IMPACT.

Overall, the show was incredible. Not a dull moment.

If I had to describe the show in one word, I'd say, "Pay-per-view of the year candidate," with no spaces.

You know what Slammiversary IX, Destination X and Hardcore Justice all have in common? They were all awesome shows! Money well spent!

Truly awesome show.

Yes! I went seven for nine with my predictions! New best!

IMPACT chose all the right winners tonight.

It was a tremendous show, and I'm looking forward to No Surrender on September 11.