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On Sunday, January 19th, TNA Genesis will take place at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. It will be streaming live on TNA+ and PPV and will feature the following:
*TNA Champion Nic Nemeth vs. Joe Hendry
*TNA X-Division Champion Moose vs. Ace Austin
*TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich vs. Rosemary - Clockwork Orange House of Fun
*TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardys vs. The Rascalz
*Mike Santana vs. Josh Alexander - I Quit Match
*Tessa Blanchard vs. Jordynne Grace
*TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Spitfire vs. Heather and Ash by Elegance
*Steve Maclin and Eric Young vs. The System
*Frankie Kazarian vs. Leon Slater
Let’s talk about how I see things shaking out…
Frankie Kazarian vs. Leon Slater
The action will be starting out hot on the Countdown to Genesis with this match up. Recently, Frankie Kazarian has been the king of the pre-show. Not only has he put on solid matches early in the night to get the crowd and viewers going, but he has been racking up wins, as well. Leon Slater has been flirting with an X-Division push recently, so will he hit a wall when he faces Frankie Kazarian or will this be a huge boost in his push? Kazarian could rebound pretty easily if he were to lose this match - thanks to his Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy (which could come into play later in the night during the World Title match). However, I’m not really a big fan of that booking style - having someone lose and then cash in on an opportunity. Therefore, I would like to see Kazarian get the win here to continue looking strong with Slater putting on a good show to keep his star shining bright.
Steve Maclin and Eric Young vs. The System
This match has been hinted out over the last week or so with the two teams having issues. It started off with a scuffle backstage. Things progressed when The System took out Jonathan Gresham. Steve Maclin and Eric Young have mentioned going for the TNA World Tag Team Championships, so beating The System would definitely help their case in doing so. All four wrestlers are so solid and the teammates work really well together. This should be a really good old school tag team match with a modern twist. I expect Steve Maclin and Eric Young to win to keep building their resume.
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Spitfire vs. Heather and Ash by Elegance
The Personal Concierge threw a pre-launch championship celebration on iMPACT! that…didn’t really go the way he had hoped. Never celebrate until you win, kids. Listen, I like Spitfire as a team and as wrestlers. They put on good matches and I dig them together. However, they tend to get outshined as characters by their foes. The Elegances are a lot of fun and can carry the Knockouts Tag Team Division with both good matches and shenanigans. Even with things going against them on Thursday, I see The Elegances getting the win and having as many celebrations as they want.
Tessa Blanchard vs. Jordynne Grace
The return of Tessa Blanchard last month was an immediate headline that sent shockwaves through social media and the TNA locker room. Having Blanchard back in the fold makes things interesting - both inside and outside of the ring. Taking this whole thing at match value, though, this is a hell of a match up. Tessa Blanchard is a great in-ring talent and Jordynne Grace is one of the best wrestlers going today. I’m very excited for the match itself. I’m also excited to see how the match ends, too. Blanchard is trying to prove that the Knockouts Division would have been nothing without her while Grace is claiming that she built the division to be what it is today. Within the ring, Grace has to defend TNA against the returning Blanchard to keep control while Blanchard has to back up her claims. Outside of the ring, Blanchard is coming back in and needs to look strong while Grace might be on the way out and releasing her post as gatekeeper. The winner will definitely have bragging rights. I think the winner all depends on Grace’s contract. If Grace is going to continue with TNA for a bit longer, then I can see her winning and then losing to Blanchard in a re-match. However, if this is Grace’s last PPV match, then I think Blanchard takes the win. The WWE/TNA partnership makes this very hard to call.
Mike Santana vs. Josh Alexander - I Quit Match
I am really looking forward to this match! Mike Santana spent some time working his way through The System last year. He’s making his way through The Northern Armory a little bit quicker this year. He only has one person left to go through in Josh Alexander. Neither of these men ever give up easily, so I am expecting a brutal I Quit Match with both men having something to prove - both in storyline and not. This time next month, we’ll know the future of Josh Alexander, so this could be his last TNA PPV. I’m sure he wants to go out on a high note and ride the momentum to whatever destination he chooses as his contract expires. For Mike Santana, this could be a huge year with him chasing the TNA World Title. A huge win over Josh Alexander will help build his resume. I see Mike Santana getting the big win here, putting The Northern Armory behind him, and continuing his chase of the World Title.
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardys vs. The Rascalz
This match is bridging a generation gap in a fun way. The Hardys are obviously highly decorated and looked upon as one of the most influential tag teams, especially amongst current wrestlers. They are also having a really strong run in TNA this time around. The Rascalz are no strangers to the top of the TNA Tag Team Division. They have held the gold before and are always poised for another run - including now. Both teams have approached this match with excitement and respect. Both teams will want to put on a great show with the understanding that the titles are desired. Which generation will win, though? I don’t know if The Hardys are ready to lose the titles right now, but I also feel like The Rascalz need to win this to prove that it’s their time. I might be overthinking this, but I could see a scenario where The Rascalz do not play super nice in order to get the win here. I am leaning towards a clean match, though, with The Hardys winning and both teams showing respect at the end of the battle.
TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich vs. Rosemary - Clockwork Orange House of Fun
Rosemary is always reliable for a strong match, but this Clockwork Orange House of Fun match is right up her alley. She has been on the rise in the Knockouts Division again, lurking about and trying to find the psychological twists to take the title. Raven’s suggestion of this match played right into her game and gave Rosemary the confidence needed to take the title from Masha Slamovich. It’s tough to be confident when facing Slamovich, though, as she is on quite the roll. Slamovich has only been champion for a couple of months and I don’t see her losing the title right now. Tessa Blanchard and Jordynne Grace may be fighting over who built the division, but Masha Slamovich has claimed the focus of the division. This was made even clearer when she appeared on NXT on Tuesday with the TNA Knockouts World Title to keep watch over the women’s division there. I expect this match to be really good with Masha Slamovich continuing her reign.
TNA X-Division Champion Moose vs. Ace Austin
When Moose won the X-Division Championship, I expected him to have a really long run with the title. I am now questioning that thanks to this match. Why? The power of Chris Bey. Ace Austin is wrestling…FIGHTING this match for his friend and tag team partner. How much would it suck for him to lose after dedicating such a big match to his struggling buddy? Austin has to win here, ending my vision for Moose’s long reign, right? Well, let’s be honest - no, he doesn’t. I don’t know. I don’t see Moose losing just yet. Therefore, I can see Moose winning, ruining the “feel good moment” and using it to get a ton of heat. That will allow Ace Austin to work his way back up the ladder and maybe take the title later in the year with a longer, even more emotional story. Again…maybe overthinking.
TNA Champion Nic Nemeth vs. Joe Hendry
Will everyone’s beliefs finally come true? A lot of people were upset that TNA didn’t pull the trigger on Joe Hendry winning the title at Bound for Glory. When he didn’t win, I made a bold guess that he would go on a long journey, possibly turning heel, in his climb back to a title shot. I was very wrong. Instead, Joe Hendry got right back into the thick of things and earned another shot, relatively quickly, at a huge show - the return of Genesis. I think it’s time. I don’t think you can take away a big moment from someone like Joe Hendry twice in the matter of three months. If you do, though, then there has to be a much bigger plan - like my bold prediction of a heel turn. I’m not willing to make that bold prediction again, though, so I see Joe Hendry getting his big moment on Sunday. I’m sure that there will be some interesting shenanigans, though. John Layfield has been lurking the last few months and no one knows why. Ryan Nemeth has been getting involved a lot, whether his brother wants him to or not. Frankie Kazarian has the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy in his back pocket. One or all of those things will most likely play a big factor in the finish. No matter who gets involved, though, I think Joe Hendry has to cash in on all the believing. Once again, the WWE/TNA partnership and Nic Nemeth’s contract extension makes things even more interesting than I expected when this match was first announced.
Overall
Genesis has shaped up to be a really good looking show. There is a lot of story to go along with what is sure to be some really good in-ring action. The stories are also a great blend of what is happening in and out of the ring AND in and out of the company. With the recent announcement of WWE and TNA striking a multi-year partnership, who knows what will happen on Sunday? It could spark months-long cross-promotion storylines or it could just be the calm before the storm. WWE involvement or not, I feel like Genesis is a must-see TNA show.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Genesis on Sunday? How do you see things playing out? Does the WWE partnership make you more inclined to watch the show? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. PWInsider.com will have live coverage of TNA Genesis. See you then!
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