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Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle
They did a feeling out process early. Angle let Jarrett grab a headlock and then dropped him backwards in a suplex. Angle cinched in a hammerlock but Jarrett nailed him with a back elbow. Angle came back with a suplex. He continued working over Jeff and tossed him to the floor. Angle worked over Jarrett with a series of punches against the rail. Karen Jarrett acted like she was going to get involved but Kurt scared her off.
Back in the ring, Kurt continued working over Jeff until Jarrett ducked out of a charge and Angle nailed his shoulder against the ringpost. Angle went to the floor, where Jarrett slammed him into the guard rail. Jarrett tossed him back in the ring and worked over Angle. Jarrett hit a flying bodypress but Angle rolled through for a two count.
Jarrett began stomping and punching away at Angle. He whipped Angle into the buckles. Angle reversed a whip but Jarrrett kicked him in the face as he charged. Jarrett went to the ropes but Angle leapt to the ropes and suplexed him off. Both men were down as the referee counted them out. They met each other on their knees, exchanging punches. They went back and forth as they fought their way to their feet.
Angle nailed a big forearm and a suplex for a close two count. Angle slipped out of a waistlock and went for the anklelock but Jarrett rolled through. Angle grabbed him for a series of German suplexes. Angle covered Jarrett for a two count. Jarrett went for the Stroke but Angle turned it into an anklelock. Jarrett escaped but missed a kick and got caught low.
Angle nailed the Olympic Slam but Karen Angle got on the apron and distracted the referee. That allowed Jarrett to nail a low blow on Angle. Jarrett nailed the Stroke but Angle got his shoulder up at the last second. He went for another Stroke but Angle shoved Jarrett into the referee. Jarrett went all the way to the floor.
Angle followed to the floor but Karen Angle raked his back. Kurt turned his attention to her but Jarrett blasted him from behind and then whipped Angle into the ring steps. Jarrett slammed him face-first into the steps. He tossed Angle into the ring and went to nail him with a chair but Angle nailed Jarrett. He went to use the chair but the referee grabbed it. Angle complained but Jarrett rolled him up for a two count. Angle came back with an exploder suplex for a two count.
Angle went to the ropes but Karen distracted him, allowing Jarrett to nail him with a nasty looking Stroke off the ropes for another two count. Jarrett went to grab Angle, who slipped around and nailed a German suplex. Angle pulled the straps down and locked in the anklelock. Karen tried to grab Jeff but was pulled into the ring as Kurt pulled Jeff from the ropes. Karen distracted the referee as Jeff tapped. Angle let Jarrett go to grab the referee, allowing Jarrett to blast him with the chair. Angle got his shoulder up at the last second.
Angle grabbed Jarrett for a quick small package for a two count. Jarrett was caught in a sunset flip but was able to drop down and capture Angle for the pin.
Your winner, Jeff Jarrett!
Really, really, really good match, especially the last few minutes. These two have always had good chemistry and the added story of the stipulation and additional chemistry of Karen Jarrett, who was really good in her role, made for an entertaining bout.
Karen celebrated with Jeff on the floor and in the aisle while Angle was crying in the ring. That gave way to some intense back and forth staredown. Angle took off his boots and left them in the ring, which Taz put over as if Angle had just retired. Taz wondered if we had just seen Angle's last match.
Christy Hemme interviewed TNA champion Ken Anderson. Anderson said that odds are stacked against him, since it's a ladder match and that's the bout that made Jeff famous. He said that he didn't want to sound like a "certain Governor, but there might be a conspiracy, Gorilla" while imitating Jesse Ventura. He said that Eric Bischoff has everyone running around trying to "save Jethro." He said that Jeff has all the girls screaming for them and they might love him as much as they love Justin Bieber. Anderson said he doesn't love Justin Bieber but loves competition. He said that people ask him if he's worried because it's Jeff's match but the reality is every match is his match. He said he was going to win tonight because he's the bigger ass****. Good serious promo.
TNA champion Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy - Ladder Match
Jackson James is the referee outside the ring.
They did the big fight intros before the match. There was a faceoff and Anderson went after Jeff with a flurry of offense, sending Jeff to the floor. Anderson followed and worked over Jeff. Jeff kicked him in the gut and went for the Twist of Hate but Anderson shoved him off, then sent Hardy into a ladder on the floor.
Anderson grabbed a ladder and began bringing it to the ring but Hardy nailed him. Hardy grabbed the ladder but Anderson grabbed the other side and rammed him with it. Anderson was cut off as he returned to the ring. Hardy nailed a neckbreaker onto the ladder. Hardy went up the ladder but was pulled off. He nailed a twisting kick to Anderson and followed up with a kick to the chest.
Hardy set up the ladder against the turnbuckles, like a ramp. He set up Anderson but was kicked in the gut. Anderson hit a side Russian legsweep onto the ladder. Anderson slipped out to the floor to grab another ladder. He set it up and climbed to the top, where he was met by Hardy. Hardy hit a sunset flip powerbomb off the top of the ladder to the mat.
Hardy slammed Anderson and climbed to the top for a leapfrog legdrop on Anderson but the champion rolled out of the way. Hardy and Anderson went back and forth, culminating with Anderson being backdropped onto the ladder that was sitting in the corner.
Hardy placed ladder upside down in the ring and began working over Anderson, dragging him around the ring. Anderson begins to mount a comeback with a series of right hands. Hardy cut him off and sent him to the floor, then kicked him into the guard rails. Hardy grabbed another ladder that was painted in Hardy's colors. He tried to throw it into Anderson's face but Ken caught it and slammed it back into Hardy's face.
Anderson went to whip Hardy into the stairs but Hardy reversed it and Anderson slammed into the stairs, selling his arm and wrist. Hardy nailed Air Sabu off the stairs, hitting a kick on Anderson, who was knocked over the railing and into the crowd. Hardy hiptossed him back into the ringide area.
Back in the ring, Hardy tried to suplex Anderson into the upside down ladder but Anderson reversed it. Hardy had a nasty looking fall into the ladder, which shifted as he crashed into it. Ouch! Anderson set up the ladder and began climbing to the top as Hardy struggled to catch up. Hardy finally dragged him off and nailed the Twist of Hate.
Hardy pulled another ladder in but Anderson slammed him on it. Anderson went for the top rope rolling swanton but hit his head on the ladder as Hardy got out of the way. Hardy began setting up two ladders next to each other and began climbing them. Anderson met him towards the top. Hardy went for the Twist of Hate but Anderson fought him off. They battled back and forth on the top of the ladder.
Hardy slammed Anderson's head into the top of a ladder, then went for the belt. Anderson shoved the title away. They battled atop the ladders, which slipped out from under them. They both crashed to the mat, with Hardy grabbing at the belt as they crashed. That was obviously supposed to be the finish but the belt didn't give way.
Hardy tossed Anderson to the outside and climbed up and retrieved the belt as Anderson fought to get up the ladder.
Really good ladder match. They did all sorts of insane spots. Anderson looked strong and Hardy is obviously in his element here. Other than the belt not wanting to do the job at the end (which you can't blame on the guys), this was a real pleasure to watch.
TNA should be really proud of this show. Not overbooked nonsense, lots of good wrestling, some great angles and some emotional stuff. This was TNA at its best and I hope they can keep some of the momentum they built tonight. Total thumbs up. You'll want to go out of your way to see a replay or a DVD of this one.
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