Genesis 2010: Styles-Angle Is Outstanding, but the New-Era Card Is Uneven

Amazing Red's mystery X Division title challenger was Brian Kendrick, making the opener a showcase for a returning high flyer who targeted the champion's leg rather than simply matching aerial moves. Kendrick trapped Red in a half-Boston crab and repeatedly worked the knee; Red escaped into a fast dive, then reentered with a missile dropkick and several near falls.

Kendrick charged Red at the apron late, but Red countered into Code Red for the pin at 9:04. The B+ score reflects how the surprise opponent, leg attack and sudden finishing counter give the title defense a complete story rather than an interchangeable opener.

Sean Morley made his TNA in-ring debut opposite Daniels, but the audience refused to play the assigned hero-and-villain roles. Daniels argued that TNA should prioritize wrestling and drew the crowd toward his side, despite his antagonistic character. Morley's power offense clashed with Daniels' technical reversals, including a submission attempt before Morley fought free.

Daniels' offense from the top turnbuckle went wrong, allowing Morley to finish with a diving Money Shot at approximately 9:07. The C- assessment reflects the mismatch between the new-arrival story the company wanted and the crowd's audible preference for the TNA veteran, not a lack of effort.

The Knockouts championship required two falls out of three, but Tara denied ODB any chance to force a deciding fall. Tara won the first with a quick rollup; ODB replied with a stronger offensive stretch, throwing Tara around and trying to reset the rhythm. The champion's recovery never came: Tara found an opening after ODB lowered her head and finished with the Widow's Peak.

The sweep at 9:20 made Tara the new champion, with the first rollup and decisive finisher giving the match two distinct turning points. A C+ grade fits a title switch with clear stakes but limited space to exploit the best-of-three stipulation.

Hernandez and Matt Morgan challenged the British Invasion for the TNA World Tag Team Championship at Genesis 2010, forcing Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams to work against two physically imposing opponents. Magnus began opposite Morgan and quickly resorted to an eye poke after struggling with the bigger wrestler’s strength. Williams shifted the match by attacking Hernandez’s knee, combining a double-team superplex with repeated holds and an assisted abdominal stretch. Hernandez finally escaped with a gut-wrench suplex, allowing Morgan to take the hot tag and drive elbows into Williams in the corner.

The champions nearly survived when Williams caught Morgan with a big boot followed by a German suplex, but they could not put him away. Hernandez lifted Magnus for a hard slam, giving Morgan an immediate opening to strike Magnus with the Carbon Footprint running boot. Morgan covered Magnus for the pin after roughly eight minutes, capturing the tag titles for the challengers. The B- (7.4) credits a coherent isolation-and-comeback structure with a definite championship consequence, not simply the size of the competitors. This is worth a skim for Hernandez’s escape, the final assisted slam and the actual title change.

Desmond Wolfe arrived at Genesis with a new valet and a plan to neutralize D’Angelo Dinero’s speed by repeatedly attacking his knee. Dinero impressed early with a flying shoulder block, a rope-assisted Boston crab and an upper-rope fist drop. Wolfe caught the challenger on the floor and then used single-leg crabs, bridging holds and a modified STF to keep him off his feet. When Dinero escaped the Tower of London attempt he answered with an STO and suplex DDT for a near fall, but Wolfe immediately resumed focusing on the leg against the ropes and ring post.

Dinero nearly seized the match late with a rope-assisted neckbreaker and an Alabama Slam. As he pulled down his kneepads to set up the double knees in the corner, Wolfe anticipated the charge and blasted him with a huge lariat. Wolfe pinned Dinero for the clean decision at 13:32. The B+ (8.1) reflects a well-developed technical strategy and a finish that specifically exploits Dinero’s familiar move, rather than an unexplained sudden pin. The wrestler who targeted the leg throughout also won the last counter, making this one of the stronger supporting Genesis matches.

Beer Money’s James Storm and Robert Roode faced Kevin Nash and Syxx-Pac, known together as the Band, with the crowd giving the more practiced tag team a clear opening advantage. Storm used quick armdrags and a neckbreaker on Syxx-Pac before the veteran team isolated him in its own corner. Nash relied on size, choking and elbow strikes, while Syxx-Pac contributed a running legdrop and repeated bronco-buster attempts. Storm escaped the second such move when Syxx-Pac crashed into the bottom turnbuckle, then caught Nash with a Codebreaker before reaching Roode for the hot tag.

Roode took control with clotheslines, a back body drop and a spinebuster on Syxx-Pac. Scott Hall appeared at the entrance ramp, momentarily distracting Beer Money while Nash scored a double clothesline and a chokeslam for a near fall. But when Hall became involved with a spectator outside, Syxx-Pac ran over to intervene and Nash was left exposed. Beer Money caught him with Storm’s superkick into Roode’s pinning cradle; Roode pinned Nash at 9:43. The C+ (6.8) reflects a functional tag story with nostalgia-driven distractions that undercut a tighter finish.

Genesis 2010 introduced Mr. Anderson as Abyss’s surprise opponent after the originally discussed Bobby Lashley bout was withdrawn backstage. Anderson made a theatrical microphone entrance, then offered a handshake only to slap Abyss before taking a return slap himself. Instead of trying to outmuscle the larger man he attacked the left arm and shoulder against the ropes, post and steps, added a single-arm DDT, and repeatedly escaped chokeslam attempts. Abyss rallied with a corner splash, side slam and Shock Treatment powerbomb, but Anderson survived the covers and kept returning to leverage and fouls.

After Abyss went outside for a chair, the referee focused on confiscating the weapon. Anderson pulled brass knuckles from his trunks, struck Abyss while the official was looking away and immediately covered him for the three count at 10:35. The C (6.3) accounts for a coherent limb-work strategy and credible large-man comebacks, but the debut victory was a hidden-weapon pin, not proof that Anderson had decisively overpowered Abyss. The brass-knuckles reveal and the new character introduction are the clearest reasons to skim it.

A.J. Styles defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Kurt Angle in a Last Chance match that ran 28:46 and appeared destined to produce a title change. The first half was sustained technical counterwrestling: arm holds, Angle’s German suplexes and multiple efforts by Styles to land a Styles Clash. Angle struck a high-impact moonsault attempt with a counter and later escaped Styles Clash attempts, while Styles repeatedly kicked out after the Angle Slam, including a dangerous-looking slam from the upper turnbuckle. Ric Flair arrived at ringside midway through the match and watched as Angle’s attacks became progressively more desperate.

The decisive controversy came when Angle grapevined Styles’s leg in a deep ankle lock and Styles tapped out, but Flair pulled referee Earl Hebner from the ring before he could record the submission. Angle pursued Flair, allowing Styles to strike him and regroup. Flair then slid the championship belt into the ring; Styles hit Angle in the head with it while the referee was still outside and Flair pushed Hebner back to count the pin. Styles retained, officially ending Angle’s Last Chance opportunity. The A (9.1) credits nearly half an hour of elite counters and the dramatic submission escape, but the finish is an interference-driven belt shot and cannot be characterized as a clean victory.