TNA Hard Justice (2008) Review

TNA comes to New Jersey with.....Hardcore Intentions!

TNA Hard Justice (2008)

Trenton, New Jersey 8/10/08

1.) TNA X-Divison Title - Petey Williams (with Rhaka Khan) vs. Consequences Creed: ***1/4

A very solid opener here. Williams & Creed managed to put on a pretty good contest. Sheik Abdul Bashir (Daivari) comes out and hits Creed with a chair, costing him the match.

After the match, Bashir pulls the cameraman in the ring and talks trash about Creed & the United States.

2.) Six-Woman Tag - Special Referee: Traci Brooks - The Beautiful People & Awesome Kong vs. TNA Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde, Gail Kim & ODB: **3/4

A pretty good Knockouts Match. I found it to be very enjoyable for what it was, and with these six women, how can it not be good?

3.) TNA World Tag Team Titles - LAX (with Salinas & Hector Guerrero) vs. Beer Money (with Miss Jackie): ***1/2

F.I.L.T.H.E.E. (who I believe also did the theme for the PPV) sings LAX's theme song and comes down with them during their entrance. This was definitely a step up from their match the previous month. With no silly stipulations, you really got to see what these teams are capable of in the ring. Beer Money wins the title via nefarious means.

4.) Black Tie Brawl & Chain Match - "The Guru" Sonjay Dutt vs. "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal: *1/4

So basically, Vince Russo (or whoever booked it) just threw together a Tuxedo Match & A Chain Match together. They're attacked to each other via a chain, and you win by either stripping off the other's tuxedo or by pin/submission. This was.....really bad. Probably one of the worst matches TNA put on in 2008. It just did not click.

5.) New Jersey Street Fight - Team 3D vs. Rhino & Christian Cage: ***

This a fine little street fight. Lots of plunder, as one would expect. I think Christian hit a splash off of a ladder at one point. They did a little to much brawling in the crowd, and I think that hurt the match. Surprisingly only one table was used, which is surprising for a Team 3D match, and the table didn't even break properly.

After the match, Johnny Devine comes out with a Kendo Stick and helps Team 3D jump the victors. The music of Abyss hits and the Monster makes save, laying out Devine with a Black Hole Slam.

6.) Last Man Standing - "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: ****1/2

Ah....now we get to something really good. This was an awesome match, though I still do not get why TNA calls this a Last Man Standing Match but uses Texas Death Match Rules where you need to pin the guy before the ten count. They're two different matches, not the same thing!! Anyway, this was great. No other way to put it. One of the better TNA matches of 2008.

The ref quickly calls for help & EMT's as the Sick DDT-off-the-Top-Rope aggravated Angle's bad neck. AJ sees this and comes back to the ring and....looks like he tried to hit a Brainbuster on Angle, but it turned into more of a Snap Suplex...which made things look odd. AJ was backing up the ramp after this. Then the lights go out, and when they come back on, Sting has AJ, and nails him with the Scorpion Death Drop on the ramp!! Kevin Nash confronts Sting afterwords...

7.) TNA World Title - Six Sides of Steel Weapons Match - Samoa Joe vs. Booker T: ***

So after the fiasco that was their last title match, Booker T stole the TNA World Title from Joe, despite not even winning it. He's also back to doing his King Booker voice/mannerisms along with being accompanied by his wife Sharmell. The match was fine. Definitely better than their previous match, but still more fitting as an iMPACT! Main Event rather than a PPV Main Event. Towards the end, the lights go out, and it looks like Booker T will emerge from the darkness with Sting's Baseball Bat. Instead, the lights come on and Joe's got a GUITAR!! He nails Booker with it & wins the match.

Overall: 8.25/10

I'd put this show slightly over the previous month's Victory Road PPV. If you skip the horrible Lethal/Dutt Match, the show looks pretty good. Angle & Styles stole the show (as one would expect), and while the main event under-delivered (still a decent match) the rest of the undercard made up for it, making for a rather enjoyable TNA PPV.