Hard Justice 2009: A Busy Championship Card With More Movement Than Momentum

Daniels defeated Alex Shelley, Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Consequences Creed, D'Angelo Dinero, Jay Lethal and Suicide. The bout is presented as steel Asylum match to determine the #1 contender to the TNA X Division Championship at No Surrender on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. The 16:33 runtime gives the match feature-level room to develop rather than forcing the finish. Steel Asylum gives eight wrestlers a clear number-one-contender objective and 16:33 to make the crowded field worthwhile. Daniels winning provides a useful endpoint, and the match has enough time and visual identity to serve as one of the event's strongest attractions. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a B+ match at 8.3, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Abyss defeated Jethro Holliday (with Dr. Stevie). The bout is presented as $50,000 Bounty Challenge on the main card. Without a championship changing hands, the match has to justify its place through the pairing, stipulation and the momentum it gives the surrounding card. At 8:49, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. The $50,000 bounty gives Abyss and Holliday a simple reason to fight, but the 8:49 match remains a supporting piece rather than a feature. Abyss winning is the expected direction, and the bout works best as a compact continuation of his issue with Dr. Stevie. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a C match at 6.0, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Hernandez defeated Rob Terry (with Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams). The bout is presented as singles match for Hernandez's TNA World Heavyweight Championship Feast or Fired briefcase on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. The 0:09 runtime is brief, so nearly everything depends on the clarity of the premise and finish. Nine seconds is not enough to function as a meaningful wrestling match. Hernandez retaining his Feast or Fired briefcase against Terry communicates the point immediately, but the segment belongs closer to an angle than a pay-per-view bout and offers virtually no replay value. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a F match at 3.8, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams) (c) defeated Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode). The bout is presented as tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. At 8:45, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. The British Invasion and Beer Money have championship stakes and established team chemistry, though 8:45 is shorter than their rivalry deserves. The champions retain in a solid match that advances the tag picture without becoming a full showcase. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a B- match at 7.2, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Cody Deaner and ODB defeated The Beautiful People (Angelina Love (c) and Velvet Sky) (with Madison Rayne). The bout is presented as tag team match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. The 7:26 runtime is brief, so nearly everything depends on the clarity of the premise and finish. Putting the Knockouts Championship at stake through a tag-team result creates more confusion than drama. Deaner and ODB win in 7:26, but the match's title mechanism overwhelms the wrestling and leaves the outcome feeling more like a storyline device than a satisfying championship contest. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a C- match at 5.6, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Samoa Joe (with Taz) defeated Homicide (c) by submission. The bout is presented as singles match for the TNA X Division Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. At 8:56, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. Joe and Homicide have a clean X Division Championship objective, and Joe's submission victory gives the match a decisive title change. At 8:56 it is shorter than ideal, but the straightforward structure and importance of the result make it one of the event's better matches. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a B match at 7.5, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

The Main Event Mafia (Booker T and Scott Steiner) (c) (with Sharmell) defeated Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray). The bout is presented as falls Count Anywhere match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. At 13:08, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. Falls Count Anywhere adds needed movement to Booker T and Steiner against Team 3D. The 13:08 runtime is sufficient for a physical title defense, and the champions retaining provides a clear finish without requiring another layer of championship movement. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a B- match at 7.0, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Kevin Nash defeated Mick Foley (c). The bout is presented as singles match for the TNA Legends Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. At 10:38, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. Nash versus Foley carries the Legends Championship, but the 10:38 match is more significant for the title change than for its bell-to-bell quality. Nash winning matters to the card's direction; the match itself is a moderate late-show piece rather than a destination. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a C match at 6.3, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.

Kurt Angle (c) defeated Matt Morgan and Sting. The bout is presented as three-Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the main card. The championship stake gives the bout an immediate reason to exist, so the result carries weight beyond simple placement on the card. At 11:22, the match has enough time to establish its point but cannot waste much of the window. The three-way world-title main event has three established names and a championship at stake, but 11:22 feels compressed for the closing match of a nine-bout card. Angle retaining is a clear result, and Morgan receives valuable placement, yet the bout ends before it can build true main-event scale. Within Hard Justice 2009, it grades as a B match at 7.6, reflecting the complete bell-to-bell proposition rather than the importance of the names alone.