(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett – TNA Genesis 2009

Kurt Angle is one of the most respected and admired wrestlers of the past 25 years. Many fans and active wrestlers have plenty of good things to say about him and have fond memories about wrestling with or against him. However, there seems to be a divide in which parts of Angle’s career people appreciate more.

Though his WWE career has gotten the most praise, the same couldn’t be said about his time in TNA. Many people have used terms like “sad”, “washed-up”, “past-his-prime” and so on to describe Angle’s time in TNA. I think that’s an unfair generalization, both of Angle’s time in TNA and of TNA’s reputation as a whole. Instead of being a retirement home for WWE superstars that were either cast away or grew tired of the grind, TNA had a few unique things to offer, at least for a while. And one of those things was the sight of seeing Kurt Angle overcome physical and personal challenges and leave it all in the ring. He did this plenty while in WWE but did he live up to the same standards elsewhere?

The story

Jarrett returned to TNA in August 2008 after a lengthy absence and soon aligned himself with Samoa Joe and helped Joe retain his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Angle. Jarrett sided with Joe based on the notion that Angle, Sting, and other veterans weren’t passing the torch to the younger generation (though, what does it about the younger generation when they need someone Jarrett’s age to address this issue?). Angle didn’t see it that way and was simple angry with Jarrett for getting involved in his business. But when Angle challenged Jarrett to a match, the 41-year-old wrestler claimed he had nothing to prove. So Angle took the dirty route by attacking Jarrett’s family and mentioned his children. This angered Jarrett so much that he accepted Angle’s challenge and won at Bound For Glory 2008.

Angle wasn’t happy with this decision and demanded a rematch. He got increasingly hostile with Jarrett and anyone else involved in the feud (like Mick Foley), to the point that Jarrett wanted to fire Angle from TNA. But he couldn’t, citing some clause in Angle’s contract (because, of course there was something like that). Instead, Angle faced Rhino at Final Resolution, with the stipulation that if Angle won he’d face Jarrett but if he lost he’d be fired. Angle won and then got this match with Jarrett. Feeling confident, Angle upped the ante with the personal attacks by making more comments about Jarrett’s first wife (who died in 2007) and warned that he’d leave Jarrett’s three children as orphans after Genesis.

Angle had crossed a line and now Jarrett was going to make him pay…or was he?

The match

This match took place on January 11, 2009. It was rated ****1/2 out of five by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

Jarrett rushes in and the fight is on. He drops Angle with a barrage of punches and follows with some hard Irish whips into the corners. Angle reverses an Irish whip and goes for a sleeper but Jarrett escapes with a back low blow which is legal because this is No Disqualification. Jarrett lands an electric chair drop and clotheslines him out of the ring. Jarrett throws Angle around as we get a split-screen showing Rhino trashing a locker room. Jarrett tosses Angle into the ring but before he too can re-enter Angle knocks off the apron and sends him into the guardrail.

In the ring, Angle lands a snap suplex for a one-count followed by a rib breaker for a two-count. Angle fights out of a chinlock and lands a counter belly-to-belly suplex for another two-count. Angle applies his own chinlock but Jarrett fights to his feet and counters an Olympic Slam with an armdrag. Angle charges but Jarrett ducks down and sends him to the floor. Then Jarrett does for a dive but his foot clips the ropes so he almost kills himself on a botched dive. Still, Angle catches him to come degree, saving his life.

The two wrestler brawl ringside until Angle sends Jarrett over the announce table. Angle hits Jarrett with a ring bell, busting him open. Angle follows with more shots to the head which cause Jarrett to do his best impression of Ric Flair/Terry Funk. Jarrett counters back with a DDT on the entrance ramp which busts Angle open. They fight up the entrance ramp and Jarrett smashes Angle into pieces of the stage setup. Angle loses his footing and almost falls off the stage, but gets up in time to counter Jarrett with an Olympic Slam off the stage and through a table on the floor below.

Both guys spend over two minutes crawling back into the ring. Both guys trade punches with Jarrett firing up first. He lands a series of quick clotheslines and a double-arm DDT/Pedigree for a two-count. He goes for The Stroke but Angle counters into an ankle lock. Jarrett rolls through, sending Angle to the floor. Angle returns with a chair but misses his swing allowing Jarett to dropkick it into his face. Jarrett lands The Stroke but only gets a two-count so he tries a superplex. Angle blocks and hits a diving dropkick and a successful Olympic Slam. One, two, Jarrett survives.

Angle tries an ankle lock but Jarrett kicks him off. Angle misses a charge and hits a ringpost shoulder-first which allows Jarrett to grab his guitar. He swings it but Angle hits first with a kick to the groin. He grabs both the guitar and a chair and plays with the crowd for a moment, listening to their cheers. They go with the chair and Angle cracks Jarrett in the head with it…for a two-count. Angle’s so furious he grabs the ref for a moment. He turns around, catches Jarrett’s foot, ducks an enzuigiri, and locks in another ankle lock. Jarrett holds on for a long time and somehow manages to roll through into a victory roll for another close two-count. Angle tries another Olympic Slam. Jarrett counters with a DDT. He sees the guitar is already partially broken so he returns the favor with a chair-shot to Angle’s head. Jarrett slides over thinking he’s won…when Angle counters the cover with a crucifix pin for a three-count out of nowhere. Angle beats Jarrett!

Winner after 22:01: Kurt Angle

Post-match, Angle spits on Jarrett, stomps on his foot, and then Pillmanizes his weakened ankle. Angle leaves eventually and Jarett is swarmed by officials, referees, and doctors who bring out a stretcher to carry him to the back.

Review

This was solid but underwhelming given the names involved. Kurt Angle was a wrestling machine that did incredible things at all times, even during his questionable “risk life and limb” phase. Jeff Jarrett, though never considered a standout worker in the ring, was a skilled storyteller and knew how to get by doing less. These two 40-year olds brought the intensity and the fire and tried to deliver a satisfying match that fit the story and the build. Angle had solid chemistry with Jarrett and their opposing backgrounds – technical moves guy vs story guy – came together in an interesting mix of both. It looked and felt like an old-school brawl from the territories era with Angle’s big moves sprinkled in to give the match a more modern wrapping. I would’ve been remembered as a better classic…had things been consistent until the very end.

These guys were going in the right direction until the finish when everything ended flatly. It didn’t have the weight or catharsis that an emphatic win would’ve. Angle just reversed a cover out of nowhere in a sudden sequence that lacked the same tone and intensity as what preceded it. And as we have seen many times in the past, a flat or disappointing ending can ruin an otherwise solid and exciting match.

We often see/hear talk of match endings not only being about the who and the when but also the how and this is a perfect example. It was obvious that TNA wanted to build this feud up and stretch it out as long as possible. To do that, and to make TNA’s regular audience both at live events and those tuning in, have a reason to care about any rematches, Angle needed to be perceived to be on Jarrett’s level. To do that, he needed a decisive win and he didn’t get that here. As a result the next chapters in this story lacked the believability needed to make Angle out to look like a remorseless killer. Instead, the ending came across as a random surprise that took the viewer out of the story. It fit Angle’s character but not necessarily the story of the match, hence the flat, and in some ways jarring, ending.

Final Rating: ****

Though it’s not a true epic or a drop-everything-and-watch-this kind of match it’s still solid in its own right. Angle and Jarrett proved that they had good chemistry with each other and could work around each other’s weaknesses. And there was still some entertainment in seeing Angle wrestle circles around Jarrett and pull off crazy spots that showed his wanton disregard both for his opponent’s well-being and his own.

I just didn’t buy the storyline all that much. Despite Angle’s best efforts, he was miscast as the abusive heel that treats everyone around him badly. That kind of role doesn’t work for him the same way as ‘smug Olympian who thinks he’s better than everyone else’ or ‘patriotic superhero’ are much better roles for him.

This isn’t Kurt Angle’s best work in TNA, not by a long shot. From what I recall his best match from that timeframe was his cage match with Mr. Anderson which included one of the craziest moments in TNA history. This match is alright but still fails to hit the same high notes Angle would hit with other people during this part of Angle’s career.

Thanks for reading.