Coming off its biggest pay-per-view of the year, it was clear Turning Point wasn’t exactly a high priority for TNA, especially considering the main event wasn’t signed until the final 10 seconds of the last Impact before the show. The lack of build showed, as a mostly dead crowd watched eight mostly average-at-best matches before a solid main event between Bobby Roode and AJ Styles capped the night.
Emanating from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Fla., Turning Point saw five titles defended, but none bigger than the one-fall match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
In the main event of the evening, Bobby Roode defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against former Fortune stable mate AJ Styles.
A passionate Styles takes control early, beating Roode from pillar to post. Styles sends Roode to the outside and goes to fly out onto him, but Roode bails. Styles ends up on the apron and then comes off the apron over the stairs and onto Roode with a flying forearm. He bashes Roode into the guard rail.
Back in the ring, Roode takes advantage of an opening and hits a sliding dropkick on Styles. Styles tries to come off the ropes but Roode catches him and slingshots him into the turnbuckle. He follows that with a flapjack for two. Roode goes to step up to the second turnbuckle but Styles cuts him off and tries for a superplex but Roode headbutts him off. Styles, though, flies back up and does hit the superplex.
Styles fires up and hits the flying forearm in the corner and then takes Roode over for a two count. Styles with a crossbody but Roode rolls it through but Styles kicks out at two, even though Roode tried to use the bottom rope for leverage. Irish whip for Roode turns into a Double R spinebuster for two.
Roode’s momentum doesn’t last for long, though, as Styles hits a side slam. He goes for the 450 Splash but Roode moves. Styles tries to hit the Styles Clash but Roode kicks his way out of it and locks in the crossface. Styles escapes and hits a mini power bomb. He puts Roode in the corner and charges. Roode floats him over and stumbles out, allowing Styles to come off with the springboard flying forearm, but Roode kicks out at two.
In the corner, Roode connects with a low blow on both Styles and referee Brian Hebner. He gets Hebner back in the game and covers Styles for a two count. Styles tries a small package for two and then hits a kick to the back of the head. Roode is staggered. Now Roode is begging off. Styles flips him off and spears him. Styles with all sorts of strikes. He crotches Roode on the top rope and Roode falls to the outside. Styles goes for a suicide dive but Roode side steps him and pushes him down and Styles lands with a sickening thud on the floor.
Both men struggling to their feet on the outside. Roode back in the ring first and he grabs Styles as he enters with the Perfect Plex but Styles kicks out at two. Roode grabs Styles but gets hit with the Pele. He goes for the Styles Clash but Roode grabs him and rolls him up and grabs the tights to get the fall and retain his championship.
The next TNA pay-per-view is Final Resolution on Dec. 11.
After a video package, Mike Tenay and Taz welcome us to Turning Point, the eighth edition of this pay-per-view extravaganza.
Match #1 – TNA World Television Championship – (c) Eric Young (Nashville, Tenn.) vs. Robbie E (Seaside Heights, NJ)
Some “comedy” early on before Robbie takes over with a headlock. After a period of struggle, Young escapes with a jawbreaker. Robbie with some punches but Young no sells them and drops his shorts, revealing a pair of Robbie E trunks. This allows Young to fire up. He slides through Robbie’s legs and hits him with a drop kick and then a belly-to-nelly throw. He goes to the top and hits a big elbow drop but Robbie T pulls Robbie E out of the ring.
Young strips away another layer of clothing and hits a crossbody from the top onto both Robbies. Robbie gets back in the ring and the ref is with him. This allows Robbie T to club Young from behind. Young ends up back in the ring and is pinned shortly after.
Winner via pinfall and NEW TNA World Television Champion: Robbie E
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #2 – TNA World Tag Team Championship – (c) Mexican America & Sarita vs. Ink Inc & Toxxin
Jesse Neal, sporting a red, white & blue mohawk, gets the edge on Anarquia early and forces him to bring in Hernandez. Jesse gets the better of him, too, and he brings in Shannon Moore. Moore goes for a crossbody on Hernandez and he’s caught, but turns it into a sunset flip for two.
Ink Inc really rolling here, all over the tag team champions. That is until Neal gets creamed with a slingshot shoulder block from Hernandez. Neal, though, is able to fire up and bring in Toxxin as Hernandez brings in Sarita. Sarita having a hard time and she gets hit with a suplex. Toxxin goes for the cover but Hernandez breaks it up. The men comes in and dispatch of Hernandez and Moore follows up with an Asai moonsault onto Hernandez. Double team leg drop onto Anarquia from Neal and Toxxin. Now, instead of going for a cover, they pants Anarquia to expose his tattoo.
In the melee, Rosita hops on the apron and distracts Toxxin. This allows Sarita to come in from behind and belt her with the title. She dispatches of the evidence and makes the pin.
Winners via pinfall and STILL TNA World Tag Team Champions: Mexican America
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #3 – TNA X Division Championship – (c) Austin Aries (Minneapolis, Minn.) vs. Jesse Sorensen (Katy, Texas) vs. Kid Kash (Nashville, Tenn.)
Kash and Aries are solidly against Sorensen here. Kash wants a piece of him, though, and asks Aries to back off. That’s until Kash and Sorensen have a stare down and Aries just cracks him from behind. That doesn’t last for long, though, as Sorensen fires up on both of them somehow. He hits a flip dive onto them and then goes to the top but gets knocked off and things quickly go south for the rookie.
Sorensen gets in a few hope spots but he is quickly overwhelmed. Aries hits a suicide dive and Kash goes for the cover and Aries tells him that isn’t the plan. Aries does an Eddie Guerrero tribute and goes for a frog splash but Sorensen gets his knees up. Kash goes for a moonsault right after but Sorensen gets out of the way.
Sorensen fires up on Aries and he hits the rolling cutter but Kash breaks it up and goes to work on Sorensen. Sorensen goes to the top but Kash cuts him off and hits a big superplex. He chooses not to go for the cover but instead wants to go for the kill. He grabs Sorensen and drills him with the Moneymaker. He goes for the cover but Aries puts Sorensen’s foot on the rope without Kash knowing it. Kash can’t believe it and as he gripes, Aries comes flying in behind him and rolls him up for three.
WInner via pinfall and STILL TNA X Division Champion: Austin Aries
Match Rating: 7/10
Match #4 – No Disqualification Match – Christopher Daniels (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Rob Van Dam (Battle Creek, Mich.)
Daniels gets on the mic before the match and asks RVD to have this be just a straight wrestling match. RVD shakes his hand, Daniels grabs a headlock and we are off.
Daniels works another headlock in the middle of the ring. RVD works to his feet but Daniels drags him back to the canvas and switches to a chinlock. He hits a Death Valley driver and then a running corner forearm. RVD, though, gets going with a back thrust kick. He drives his shoulder into Daniels and then crotches him on the top rope before hitting another kick that sends Daniels to the outside, where Daniels says enough of this and takes a walk. RVD follows up and they brawl on the ramp and RVD hits a hip toss on the ramp.
RVD puts Daniels over the guard rail and hits a running leg drop onto him. They go back into the ring but Daniels throws referee Earl Hebner into RVD. He hits an STO and then grabs a steel chair and hits RVD in the gut with it. He follows with a uranage for two. Daniels goes to the outside and grabs a screwdriver, but RVD blocks it with the chair. He tosses the chair to Daniels and kicks it. He follows with the frog splash and that’s it.
Winner via pinfall: Rob Van Dam
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #5 – Matt Morgan (Fairfield, Conn.) vs. Crimson (Brooklyn, NY)
Morgan sends Crimson to the outside and follows up, but that goes poorly for him and Crimson bashes him into the ring steps and then the guard rail. Crimson tries to throw Morgan into the steps again but ends up going into them himself. Back in the ring, side slam connects for Morgan for two. Back elbow lands for Morgan and then he pounds away with some punches on the downed Crimson.
He puts Crimson in the corner and loads up the rapid fire elbows. Crimson, though, after being beat down, gets going and hits a spear for two. Morgan in the corner and he gets a boot up on Crimson but ends up running right into the Red Sky but Crimson can’t capitalize in time and Morgan kicks out at two. Now the two start jawing back-and-forth in the middle of the ring, trading shots. Now they start slugging away at each other and won’t break even though the referee tells them to. They both shove the referee away and he calls for the bell.
This match is a double disqualification
Match Rating: 5/10
So I guess this means Crimson’s streak is over with little fanfare.
Match #6 – Scott Steiner (Detroit, Mich.) & Bully Ray (New York City) vs. Mr. Anderson (Green Bay, Wisc.) & Abyss (Parts Unknown)
Anderson with a kick to the back of the head of Bully Ray. Ray hits a back suplex, though, and brings in Big Poppa Pump. Behind the referee’s back, Ray yanks Anderson’s feet out from under him and pulls him yambag region-first into the post. While Ray is taking care of Anderson in the ring, the crowd is chanting for Steiner, even though Steiner is doing his best to discourage them to do so.
Steiner in now and he hits a Samoan drop on Anderson off the second rope. Steiner with a belly-to-belly suplex after Anderson tries a couple quick pinfall attempts. He brings in Ray after the crowd chants “Steiner!” some more. Anderson quickly hits Ray with a DDT. Both men down. Both men tag. Abyss finally in and he is running wild.
Big splash on both Ray and Steiner. He throws Ray into Steiner’s corner and splashes them both. He slams Steiner and goes to the second rope and hits a big splash for two. He calls for the choke slam and hits it but Ray breaks up the pin. Ray starts clubbing Abyss. Steiner and Ray go for a double-team clothesline but Abyss turns it into one of his own. Abyss gets kicked but Anderson blind tags his way in and goes to the top, hitting a cross body on Steiner for two. Steiner hits an STO for two.
He loads Anderson up on the top turnbuckle and hits a Frankensteiner and goes for the pin but the referee says someone isn’t the legal man. But Abyss comes in and hits Steiner with the Black Hole Slam and the referee counts three. What? They weren’t even in the right corner for Anderson to tag Abyss.
Winners via pinfall: Abyss & Mr. Anderson
Match Rating: 6/10
After the match, Ray and Steiner put Abyss through a table but he completely no sells it. The heels cower and bail.
Match #7 – TNA Knockouts Championship – (c) Velvet Sky (The Big Apple) vs. Gail Kim (Toronto, Ontario)
Kim with an abdominal stretch, but Velvet elbows her way out and hits a jackknife cover for two. Kim tries to hit a springboard crossbody off the second rope but Velvet kicks her out of the air. Two clotheslines and a bulldog connect for Velvet. Kim tries for Eat Defeat but Velvet counters into the X Factor. Karen Jarrett jumps on the apron and Madison Rayne comes in from behind and drops Velvet. Kim is slow to the cover and only gets two. Kim goes to the top for a splash but misses. They trade rollups and again there’s some cheating from Kim’s side. This time, though, she’s able to hit Eat Defeat and that does it.
Winner via pinfall and NEW TNA Knockouts Champion: Gail Kim
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #8 – Jeff Jarrett (Hendersonville, Tenn.) vs. Jeff Hardy (Cameron, NC)
The bell rings, Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and that’s it.
Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy
Match Rating: NR
And they restart the match on Jarrett’s request and Hardy agrees. Jarrett, of course, takes over. Hardy starts to battle back. He goes for the Twist but Jarrett counters and goes for the Figure Four. Hardy, though, leans up and grabs him into a small package and gets the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy
Match Rating: 5/10
After the match, Jarrett chases down Hardy and drills him in the head with a chair. He says “it’s over when I say it’s over” and drags Hardy back to the ring. In the ring, Jarrett hits the Stroke and tells Earl Hebner to count. He does and Hardy turns it into a crucifix pin and pins Double J again.
Match #9 – TNA World Heavyweight Championship – (c) Bobby Roode (Toronto, Ontario) vs. AJ Styles (Gainesville, Ga.)
Winner via pinfall and STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion: Bobby Roode
Match Rating: 7.5/10
Overall Rating: 6/10
Matt Bishop can be reached at bishop20@msu.edu. Please include your name and hometown. Click here to follow Matt on Twitter. Should be a good one!.