[Andy3000]

Originally Posted by McQueen

Damn TNA for making me actually want to watch one of their matches.

Haha, I feel the same way.

I haven't watched TNA in almost a year and half either so I'm completely ignorant to the build or backstory to this. All the debating surrounding that build in the last couple pages makes me doubt I'll even 'get it' if I do watch it.

[T-C]

To be fair if the match is as good as people are claiming it to be (4 and a half starz) seeing the build should not be necessary in order to "get it", the story that they tell in the match should be enough for the watcher to be able to tell if it is great or not. However I don't think it is.

[Andy3000]

I'll download it and give it a shot anyway.

[AIW]

Lots of mixed thoughts on the Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe match here.

I downloaded it today out of the Lockdown show from Sunday. It was a fine match overall, imo. The MMA action they tried is honestly take or leave. But I enjoyed a lot of what they went to do. It was Angle trying what he could against a now all more confident Samoa Joe but finally being put in his place. I thought the match had some very good parts. The reversal sequences was executed perfect to me because it focused on the point of Joe pushing to beat Angle in just everything he tried. The big clothesline spot was sweet. I think it's even great when you see a few of the little things they did besides the big spots. Like Angle thinking ahead before he gets slapped more in the chest by Joe and instead of staying to work on the leg goes for a headlock instead to stop the attack or in another moment when Kurt is bitching around in Joe's finisher with the ref grab before he got to the ropes. Then we got a finish simple to the point that it's great. Not a match that I could say was perfect to myself. There are easy flaws to find but I am one of the majority to think this was worked wonderfully for at least a TNA PPV main event.

I'm up for maybe **** or ***3/4 on my first watch. I'd gave **** to the Joe/Angle at Turning Point (my favorite match as well between the two). I believe this was the most enjoyable I've seen with them since back then.

[SuperDuperDragon]

I enjoyed the match, but when I heard it was gonna be an MMA style match, I was expecting something much like Joe vs. Ki, just a fight!

These guys put on a good match for its style, and while the MMA stuff was good, alot of the time it looked way too "fake". The main problem for me in this match was definitely Joe. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy but he wasn't on that night.

[Ownage™]

Just watched Angle/Joe and I have it at ****. If you can get into it, which I was able to do, it's a good match but not a classic. I didn't mind the MMA stuff but I felt that there was so much more these two could've done given what they're capable of in the ring. Maybe they needed another 5 minutes, I dunno.

Exactly how good was the build for the match?

[New School Fire]

I felt it had its high points and low points concerning the build of the match. It was cool to see how much the two were putting in to their match as far as training goes. Joe was off tv for a couple weeks but they showed training promos. Though that is also something that took away from the build imo. For such a big match they should have both been there. I liked what Angle did, he had sparring sessions on iMPACT with people. I'd say decent. I was not super in to the build but I still loved the match.

[GP_Punk]

It seems to me that up to now, people are split in two groups: the ****1/4 area group, and the ***1/2 area group.
What i gather separates the two, is how willing you are to accept the switch from their regular style to the MMA feel.

Obviously the reason is Angle wants to try MMA for real and is just boosting his stocks, but it actually works a bit in story as well. If Angle wanting to try MMA carries into the worked story, then Joe who failed to beat Angle in the past with his own style (and has had some MMA training) figures "what the hell, let's give it a go".
There are some issues with it, but to be honest i only just thought of that a few minutes ago.

I watched the match without questioning why they work that style too much - i don't mind really, as long as a match's style is defined within it, i don't really care why they work it, and while it probably won't go very high in ratings because of that reason, it's still perfectly fine for ****-****1/4 in my book.

So, the major bad things for me were Joe messing up his leg selling later on, and the finish, that could benefit from a longer stretch, while the major good thing was the in-match story of Joe playing by the book, Angle throwing everything at him with Joe countering it all, Angle get's desperate and pulls the ref, at which point Joe goes "Fuck it!" and knocks him in the cage.

It would've been much better if after Angle pulled the ref, Joe's toss was carried on into a full-on brawl in the cage, but i still like it the way it is.

[TheUnholyDragon]

I have Angle vs. Joe at ****.

The 'MMA' stuff wasn't really as good as it could have been. Joe knew how to work that sort of style. Angle...not so much, and he looked lost at times. Still, once they got into a groove it was fine. Things picked up nicely when they hit a more typical pro wrestling style, with Joe sort of picking up steam as they went. The story was nicely handled, with Joe going defensive early on when there wasn't much in the way of damaging moves, then bringing it when the bombs started coming out to a degree that Angle couldn't keep up with. Despite talk in the other direction, this was Joe's match in every way, shape, and form and it's worth a look on those merits alone.

[Caponex75]

Originally Posted by T-C

It sucks to see what Joe has become. He was utter shit against Misawa who was doing everything to try and make Joe look great. Both people in the match have deteriorated beyond belief.

My opinion but I think you got it fucked up. Joe tried everything in his power to make the match good and Misawa just did not give a shit. The only thing that came good from the match was that Joe looked good in his attempt to carry his ass and I think all that flash got the audience to like him.