By Ryan Kester

Bobby Roode vs. James Storm vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Bully Ray

This was a well-wrestled match let down by the match's conclusion. I have enjoyed Sting's recent work, but his involvement in the main event quickly overshadowed the match's participants. The Summerslam 1997 callback did very little for me considering everything that went into that moment. Nothing can really compare to that moment, so I question why TNA chose to set themselves up for that comparison to take place.

In the lead up this Against All Odds, I wondered who TNA was attempting to focus on with five men hovering around the TNA Title. Last night's answer would suggest Bobby Roode vs. Sting, which has to be the least compelling story TNA could choose to tell. I have been a fan of Sting's work since he took on the role of General Manager of Impact, but his time in the main event has passed.

Gunner vs. Garett Bischoff

I have railed against this story since its inception, and last night did nothing to assuage my ire. I can respect the fact that promoters' sons get pushes. I can respect the fact that it's something one just has to learn to accept as it's an inevitability of the business. That simply changes very little for me.

Garett Bischoff may just be a great guy in day to day life, but he does not have the talent to back up the type of monster push he is receiving, and it is frustrating to see an entire company dig their heels in and try and convince me that he is the "future of the business." That will do Garett no favors whatsoever, and TNA is blindly hurting their credibility every time they try and convince me otherwise.

All that being said, I am happy that TNA chose to give Gunner the victory in this match. I'm still not a fan of the match's placement on the card, and all of the post-match excuses from the announce team, but I really expected to see Gunner fed to Garett Bischoff here, and TNA deserved some credit for not resorting to that decision.

AJ Styles vs. Kazarian

While I have enjoyed the work of Styles, Kazarian, and Christopher Daniels over the past month, when it came time to wrestle the story hurt the match. Kazarian is obviously a sympathetic figure in this storyline, and that made it difficult for the live crowd to invest in anything the two men were doing.

Like I said before, I am enjoying the storyline involved in this feud, but it's time for the next chapter to take place or this feud will run the risk of getting very stale very quickly.

Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley

This was a great match and one that I have been clamoring for since the build to 2011's Bound For Glory. Aries and Shelley put on a great show with several near falls down the stretch and it made for some extremely entertaining television.

Aries has really begun to shine in his current role, and I am enjoying his new Last Chancery submission finisher. I hope to see TNA utilize his talent to its fullest going forward as he has been one of the consistently best acts in TNA over the past several months.

Matt Morgan and Crimson vs. Samoa Joe and Magnus

I am thrilled to see Samoa Joe and Magnus walk away from their match with the TNA Tag team Titles. I was certain that TNA would keep the titles on Crimson and Morgan as they have been to continue their holding pattern, but TNA made the right call and moved the straps.

With the Motor City Machine Guns making a likely return soon and Crimson causing the loss by accidentally spearing his partner, it looks like we're going to be getting a set of good feuds going forward. Matt Morgan vs. Crimson does little for me, but having the MCMGs chasing Samoa Joe and Magnus could be just what TNA's tag division needs to become elevated again.

Gail Kim vs. Tara

Good work from both women. Gail Kim continues to step up her game since her return to TNA, and Tara served as a good foil to Kim.

I like the fact that TNA resisted the urge to have another Madison Rayne interference spot. Kim looked ruthless by targeting Tara's injury to set up her finisher, and I was pleasantly surprised by the clean finish.

Robbie E vs. Shannon Moore

This match felt somewhat unnecessary. The TNA TV Title lacks any form of prestige and TNA has done nothing with Shannon Moore or Robbie E for a while now. Both men feel like they are in need of a repackaging at this point as I feel they have gotten all they will out of their current character.

The above is by no means meant to disparage the work these two did. Their match was perfectly passable and Shannon Moore in particular worked quite well, but it's difficult to invest in a match when neither wrestler is treated as a big deal on a consistent basis.

Zema Ion vs. Jesse Sorensen

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with Jesse Sorensen and his friends and family. At the time of this writing his injuries appear to be rather severe, and I can only hope he manages to make it out of this current situation with his health intact.

TNA did a good job of recouping from the unexpected injury with the snap decision of awarding Ion the win via count out. I could have done without the multiple replays of the incident, but that's picking nits with all things considered.

Overall Show

TNA started off their PPV well with matches that had a good pace, solid wrestling, and clean finishes. Then the final hour came and did its best to undo a lot of the hard work from the undercard. The Garrett Bischoff experiment isn't working for this viewer, and Bobby Roode taking on Sting feels like the least compelling storyline TNA can tell with Roode's reign. TNA took a good step forward with how they handled the first two hours, only to take two big steps backward.

If you have any questions or comments or just wish to chat with a fellow wrestling fan about whatever, then feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter at @TheRyanKester.

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