TNA is gearing up for its first pay-per-view offering of 2009 and they are taking the show on the road to the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. All in all, the hype for this event wasn’t tremendous by any means, however, the overall card doesn’t seem to be that bad on paper. There are seven bouts scheduled for Genesis, four of which are title matches.
- Sting vs. Rhino (TNA World Championship)
- Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle
- Mick Foley/AJ Styles/Brother Devon vs. Booker T/Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner
- Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed vs. Beer Money, Inc. vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss (TNA Tag Team Championship)
- Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley (X Division Title)
- Awesome Kong vs. TBD (Lumberjack Match for the Knockout Championship)
- Shane Sewell vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir
Sting vs. Rhino (TNA World Championship)
Rhino has become a leader of sorts for the Frontline and has fought along side of them as they have gone up against the Main Event Mafia. Sting, on the other hand, has stated that he never had anything against Rhino until he decided to become a part of the Frontline and what they stand for. That’s about all the hype this match has gotten as it was overshadowed by the grudge match between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett.
Rhino scored a surprising pin fall victory over the World Champion about a month ago on Impact, so he does have that going for him. Can Rhino pull that off a second time with the title on the line? I highly doubt it. Sting will easily retain the title and will more than likely do it with the help of his friends, with or without his knowledge.
Starman’s Prediction: Sting to retain the World Championship
Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle
These two met in the six-sided ring for the first time at Bound for Glory IV last October. Jarrett won the match and Angle was adamant about getting a rematch, however, Jarrett claimed it was one-and-done for him. Angle finally won the opportunity to get said rematch after months of relentless goading and putting his career on the line last month and defeating Rhino.
Angle has been using Jarrett’s daughters and late wife in his rants to try to get Jarrett back in the ring to face him. These low-handed tactics have turned off a lot of people but it is hard to argue that this is the best storyline going on right now in TNA. Can you imagine if all storylines got this type of treatment? Now that I am done dreaming for a moment, my mind has snapped back into reality and is telling me that Angle will win this match. I would love to see Jarrett win again, though, as that would make for an interesting storyline progression, so I have to go with my heart on this one.
Starman’s Prediction: Jeff Jarrett to win.
Mick Foley/AJ Styles/Brother Devon vs. Booker T/Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner
Over the past couple of months, the Main Event Mafia have been doing gangland style “hits” on some of the top talent, including Christian Cage, Brother Ray and Samoa Joe. Mick Foley, who had been warming up to the MEM, warned them to stop these antics or he would have to get physically involved. Later that night the Mafia went after AJ Styles and Foley kept his word by booking himself in this match.
This six-man tag team match will be historic as it is the first time Mick Foley has ever competed in a match for TNA. Foley also delivered a tremendous and spirited promo to close out the last Impact broadcast about how he may be older and isn’t as good as he once was, but for one night he will be as good as he ever was. We’ll have to wait and see if Foley is able to deliver on that promise, but I do have a hard time thinking that his team will lose the match. If they do, it will be due to some sort of cheating on the part of the MEM.
Starman’s Prediction: Foley/Styles/Devon to win the match.
Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed vs. Beer Money, Inc. vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss (TNA Tag Team Championship)
Matt Morgan and Abyss have been setting their sights on Beer Money and the tag team titles for a while now. A match between the two had been set for Genesis but before that could happen, Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed cashed in on their Feast or Fired contract and won the Tag Team Championship on Impact. The match will now feature all three tag teams.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the way that Lethal & Creed won the tag team titles, but I don’t think they would be dropping the titles quite so soon. On the other hand, this is TNA and they are facing two teams in their first title defense, so anything is possible. If they do lose the titles my money would be on Beer Money to regain them, but I am going to stick with my gut feeling on this one and say that Lethal & Creed successfully defend the titles.
Starman’s Prediction: Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed to win the match.
Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley (X Division Title)
Due to the controversial ending of the X Division Title match at last month’s Final Resolution pay-per-view, Jim Cornette vacated the title and decided to hold an 8-man tournament with the finals taking place at Genesis. As luck would have it, the Motorcity Machine Guns both made it to the finals and will face each other to crown a new X Division Champion.
The tournament itself was basically made for these two as it was easy to see where this thing was heading. Sabin and Shelley could easily steal the show with this match and it is one that I am looking forward to. Sabin has been a multiple time X Division Champion and has actually held on to the X Division the longest. Shelley, on the other hand, has never held a title in TNA. I think it is about time to change that as I predict that Shelley will come out on top.
Starman’s Prediction: Alex Shelley to win the X Division Title.
Awesome Kong vs. TBD (Lumberjack Match for the Knockout Championship)
After winner a match against Awesome Kong via disqualification at last month’s Final Resolution pay-per-view, Christy Hemme was originally scheduled to face Kong once again in the lumberjack match. TNA reported on their website that Hemme had injured her neck in training for the match and will not be able to compete. Jim Cornette is to name a new challenger at Genesis. I won’t be making a guess as to whom it may be but I will predict that Kong retains her title.
Starman’s Prediction: Awesome Kong to retain her title.
Shane Sewell vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir
At Final Resolution, Sheik Abdul Bashir lost his X Division Title to Eric Young after getting a little help from referee Shane Sewell. Bashir retaliated with a bloody beat down and has been taunting and pushing him around even since. This past week on Impact, Sewell reached a breaking point and fought back breaking a previous warning set by Jim Cornette. Sewell was fired for his actions but Cornette said he would be rehired as a wrestler.
I enjoyed the build up to this match and I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out. I have never seen Sewell wrestle before so this will be something different for me. In the end, I think Bashir will walk out on top and continue to be a thorn in Sewell’s side.
Starman’s Prediction: Sheik Abdul Bashir to win the match.
On paper, the Genesis pay-per-view isn’t half bad. There isn’t a lot on the card so most of the matches should be given a decent amount of time to work with. The two highlights are the Jarrett/Angle rematch and the finals of the X Division Tournament, which should be worth the price of the pay-per-view alone. Plus, Mick Foley’s TNA in-ring debut will also take place which should be entertaining.
The one weak spot is the main event match for the World Championship. I don’t think the match will be that bad, but there wasn’t much effort put into promoting the match like it should have gotten. It really took a backseat to the Angle/Jarrett feud and that shouldn’t happen since the World Championship is on the line. At any rate, Genesis should be a decent event that would be worth getting.
