TNA 'Genesis 2013' PPV: Predictions & Preview

TNA's Genesis 2013 event is back tomorrow night (01-13-13), on pay-per-view (PPV), and online around the world, at TNAonDEMAND.com LIVE! from the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. All the anarchy is scheduled to go down starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Also, for a "limited time, as a preview to this year's big event, you can watch Genesis 2011 for free here and here".

Sunday night's show features all your favorite TNA mainstays, including Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Tag Team and Knockouts action, and more!

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our CSS staff of learned wrestling blowhards is faithfully here for you, yet again, in order to help you all figure out just how this latest PPV event is gonna play out.

We've got staff predictions for each and every match on the TNA Genesis 2013 card coming up next!

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TNA Genesis 2012 Match Card:

• Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries
• "The Icon" Sting vs. D.O.C.
• Christopher Daniels vs. "Cowboy" James Storm
• Joseph Park vs. Devon
• Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez vs. Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan
• Christian York vs. Kenny King
• Rob Van Dam vs. York/King winner
• Gail Kim vs. ODB vs. Miss Tessmacher vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky

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CSS STAFF PREDICTIONS:

The Main Event: Jeff Hardy defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Austin Aries and Bobby Roode (TNA Triple-Threat Elimination Match)

• The General: Everything about this says Roode and Aries are going to continue trying to show up each other and in the process, they'll both end up losing. That means Hardy retains his title as we get closer and closer to hearing news that he signed a new deal with the company. Pick: Jeff Hardy
• Keith Harris: It's hard to raise much enthusiasm for this pay-per-view pick 'em game when TNA's eye was off the ball again, forgetting to seriously hype Genesis in favour of courting ratings with the latest developments in the Hogan family soap opera. I'm guessing the Hulkster finds a way to steal the spotlight from Jeff Hardy on this show, too. Oh, you want to know the winner of the main event? It seems clear that Hardy retains after the attempts of the heels to work together backfire on each other. Should be the best match on the card, by a wide margin too. Pick: Jeff Hardy
• Jesse Holland: Too soon. Bobby Roode and Austin Aries have a good thing going here and I think the belt only complicates matters. With that in mind, expect one of them to interfere, distract or sabotage the other, allowing Hardy to retain. Pick: Jeff Hardy
• June M. Williams: Picking for this entire card is hard for me this time. Because quite frankly, watching TNA lately has been downright painful for me. As a matter of fact I was just saying I would rather pluck out my own eyeballs and shove them in my earballs than be subjected to anymore TNA. But, like most Cagesiders, I am a glutton for punishment and will masochistically watch Genesis, anyway. Unlike most Cagesiders however, I have been a supporter of The Art School Dropout AND his new and IMPROVED belt, too -- but even I have become weary of the Charismatic Enigma lately. Nonetheless, there is no way TNA is letting him drop the belt after all they have invested in him and it. This one is a no-brainer. Pick: Hardy
• C. J. Bradford: As much as I love the heels in this matchup, I can't see Hardy dropping the strap. He is going to be given a long championship run. This will be a great match, but the baby face retains. Pick: Hardy
• Sean Rueter: This should be great. All three men are doing good work and it should be the centerpiece of their promotion. But they work for a company with Hulk Hogan in it. Anyway, no reason to take the strap off of Jeff, and I want to see more of Aries and Roode's evil version of Hell No. Pick: Jeff Hardy
• Rex Ivanovic: Although Bobby Roode and Austin Aries are doing some of the best work in TNA, but I just can't see either one of them walking out of Genesis with the title. Hardy has become the painted face of the company and is one of the few wrestlers who can move the needle for TNA. Hardy is going to walk out of Genesis with the belt(s) in what should be a hell of a match. Pick: Hardy
• Hollywood Wallace: I hate triple threats, but if you're going to do it then it might as well be with the best three guys in the company. The Charismatic Enigma rolls here though. Pick: Hardy

"The Icon" Sting vs D.O.C. (Singles Match)

• The General: Could we care any less about this match? We really couldn't, could we? The funny thing about Aces and 8s is that a lot of the major players in TNA were around for the nWo in WCW and know how to book a strong invading heel stable. But for whatever reason, they threw that book out and have consistently made terrible decisions week after week. One of those decisions is to have the babyfaces go over more often than not, which is the recipe to kill any heat the heels might have. They'll stupidly do it again here. Pick: Sting
• Keith Harris: Given that Sting squashed Mike Knox on Impact Thursday night, I can't see the former Festus faring significantly better. Sting wins convincingly, but Aces and 8s gets what little heat they have left back in a post-match gang mugging. Pick: Sting
• Jesse Holland: Really? Sting is going to come back like the hero only to lose to DOC? Puh-leeze. Pick: Sting
• June M. Williams: This is my chance to tell you my theory: I am convinced Sting was supposed to repel down into the ring after tossing his bat down before him, all eyes on that spot, center of the house. But something went awry, so he had to come in through the arena. The camera and lighting crews were not set up to compensate for it, hence the weird entrance the other night. Oh yeah, and my pick is the obvious one. DUH. Pick: Stinger (and uh no, I refuse to call him "The Icon")
• C. J. Bradford: Is there any reason for Sting to return if he loses his first match? This is TNA - and more specifically Aces & 8s - so a run-in, or some type of shenanigan, is very likely. If I have to pick a straight up winner though, Sting is going to make D.O.C. tap to the Scorpion Deathlock. Pick: Sting
• Sean Rueter: This is either the big win for the good guys, or where some other guys I don't care about turn, or something. Usually when I have no idea what is going to happen, it's a good thing. I guess Sting walked back into the Impact Zone like a maudlin Cirque du Soleil extra for some reason, though. Pick: Sting
• Rex Ivanovic: I don't really expect this match to go for very long before we get some interference from the outside. Neither of these guys can really set the world on fire in the ring and Aces and Eights will probably interfere and get Sting the victory by DQ. Pick: Sting
• Hollywood Wallace: Doc sure ain't Ric Flair... but then again, this sure ain't Clash of the Champions. Pick: Sting

Christopher Daniels vs. "Cowboy" James Storm (Singles Match)

• The General: Not sure why these two are feuding or what the point of it all is but I suppose I'll go with Storm after he overcomes both Daniels and Kazarian, who will undoubtedly get involved in some way. Pick: James Storm
• Keith Harris: Christopher Daniels remains a riot as the evil tormentor of his former friends AJ Styles and James Storm when he's not hampered by bad material. It's too soon for him to get his comeuppance just yet, so I expect Daniels to go over with help from his pesky partner Kazarian. Really, TNA should be grooming Daniels for a match with Jeff Hardy down the line, as their current World Heavyweight champion needs some fresh blood to face. Pick: Christopher Daniels
• Jesse Holland: James Storm is still a main event player and a "top guy," while Christopher Daniels remains a solid mid-card performer. It's been that way for the past year and I don't expect it to change at Genesis. It's not exactly a program with legs, but it sure beats another A.J. Styles bout. Pick: James Storm
• June M. Williams: If TNA is the bizarro version of WWE, then Daniels is their Ziggler. Seriously. The guy can work, and sell, and draw a pop from the crowd... but he is completely wasted, and it is getting tiresome waiting for him to finally get to where he really ought to be: in the spotlight at the top of the card. Pick: Daniels
• C. J. Bradford: Daniels continues to be the best thing about TNA. The way the promotion misuses him is embarrassing to watch sometimes. He's trapped in the midcard, never really given a true angle outside of pissing AJ Styles off. I want little more than to see TNA use Daniels in some legitimate manner. Alas, this will not be that match. Storm goes over for no real reason other than he can. Pick: Storm
• Sean Rueter: TNA seems to always hesitate to pull the trigger on a big push for Storm, while they're always ready to turn a guy who's doing great work as a heel. Pick: Christopher Daniels
• Rex Ivanovic: Christopher Daniels has been on absolute fire lately and doing some of the best work in his career. It's TNA however, and he won't be rewarded for it by going over here. Storm is going to win here, so he looks strong heading into a feud with one of the losers of the triple threat. Pick: Storm
• Hollywood Wallace: Daniels recently claimed that he was a ways off from retirement. I'll take him at his word, though he will have his creepy hands full here. Pick: Daniels

Devon (the TV Champion) vs. Joseph Park (Singles Match)

• The General: Park finally gets his first match as a real wrestler after spending a few weeks down at wrestling school. The right storyline would be to have him lose and start to have a crisis of motivation only to see that he's had it in him all along and come back to give his former captors their comeuppance. I don't think they'll do that, though, because remember, they don't really know how to book Aces and 8s get over. Pick: Joseph Park
• Keith Harris: How many clumsy, inept wrestlers win their first match out of training school against an old hand with twenty years of experience on them? That rhetorical question should also give you the answer to exactly who is going over here. Park may be slightly less incompetent in the ring on this attempt, but he's still going to crash to defeat to a wily Aces and 8s veteran again, this time Devon. Pick: Devon
• Jesse Holland: They didn't waste all that time on Joseph Park just to have him lay an egg against Devon. A win at Genesis completes the Rocky story and deals another blow to the Aces & 8s. Pick: Joseph Park
• June M. Williams: Everything Mr. Keith Harris just said above me here is perfectly logical and should totally apply here. However, this is TNA and the only thing worse then #WWELOGIC, is #TNALOGIC. Pick: Park
• C. J. Bradford: There has to be some reason for the Park training storyline to have gone on as long as it did. A thoughtful person would believe that Park would overcome the odds and defeat his captors. However, TNA is not made up of thoughtful people. There will almost certainly be some shenanigans, but I still think Devon picks up the win. Pick: Devon
• Sean Rueter: Are they still doing the thing where Park sees blood and turns into Abyss? Shouldn't Park work his way up to the leader of the gang after he went to the dojo? This seems like a toss-up, so I'll factor in the possibility of a DQ finish and maybe a beat down of the face here leads into the Sting match. Pick: Joseph Park
• Rex Ivanovic: Joesph Park is a nice little story and I don't think TNA will end it. Like some previous matches, Park will see blood and transform into Abyss and absolutely demolish Devon. Pick: Park
• Hollywood Wallace: I think there's more to this Joesph Park than meets the eye. Pick: Park

Chavo Guerrero y Hernandez defending against Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan (The World Tag Team Championship)

• The General: It's really time to shit or get off the pot. Pick: Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan
• Keith Harris: TNA management are obviously high on Matt Morgan, so it's likely that they'll want to use the TNA Tag Team Championships as a vehicle to get him over with him having a much weaker partner in Joey Ryan. Also, Chavo and Hernandez are less over than the size of their push and have lost steam of late, despite holding the belts. Thus, the time feels right for a title switch. Pick: Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan
• Jesse Holland: It takes a special kind of talent to make the Impact Zone sound worse than it already does. Fortunately, Chavo Guerrerro and Hernandez are up to the challenge. They should have coughed up these straps a long time ago. Pick: Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan
• June M. Williams: Wow, there is no love to go around for Team Mexico amongst our staff, is there? I have consistently picked these guys every time; because of my love for guys named Hernandez and my fondness in general for guys with Brown Pride. This time is no different, but here is why: Se me hace difícil creer Hernández renovó su contrato de TNA de nuevo en junio de 2012 para una prórroga de un año, y luego se la alineación poco después con el debut Guerrero, para emprender un camino que le garanticen a salir en un resplandor de bla. De cara al nuevo año, me aferro a las cosas de creencias van a mejorar para estos chicos. (Pardon my rusty Spanish--hanging with hispanics throughout my life, taking a year in HS an eon ago, and two trips to Mexico in the nineties do not make for a fluent chica--blame google for the assist.) Pick: Guerrero y Hernandez
• C. J. Bradford: When was the last time Guerrero & Hernandez were on Impact Wrestling? Because I don't think I've seen them for awhile. The champions drop the titles because TNA has finally realized they are incredibly boring. Pick: Ryan & Morgan
• Sean Rueter: Wow, all of TNA's overhyped acquisitions in one match. I bet that no matter who wins, everybody remains directionless. I'm not sure who goes over, and I'm pretty sure I don't care, but that Matt Morgan sure makes me want to insure my car. Pick: Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan
• Rex Ivanovic: This is the match that I am least certain about. Guerrero and Hernandez have been underwhelming as champions, but with TNA you can never underestimate the importance of WWE experience. Ryan and Morgan should go over here and this pick is based solely on inner desire. Pick: Ryan and Morgan
• Hollywood Wallace: I think it's finally time to move this division forward, but I totally respect the Mexicans title reign. Pick: Ryan and Morgan

Kenny King vs. Christian York (X Division Number-One Contender Tournament Final)

• The General: King has the better upside of the two and he's the one who had the program going with Rob Van Dam before this tournament started. So he should win here and while normally that means you should go the opposite route, I think they'll get this right. Pick: Kenny King
• Keith Harris: Flip a coin, this match could go either way, depending upon which direction they want to take Kenny King's heel turn and grudge with Rob Van Dam. I think TNA may want to postpone the inevitable King vs. RVD showdown to a later date, so I'm going for the upset here. Pick: Christian York
• Jesse Holland: Kenny King is one of the few bright spots in an other wise dull broadcast and he already has history with Rob Van Dam, so expect him to advance to settle his differences with the X-Division champ.Pick: Kenny King
• June M. Williams: King is the choice I would like to see here, for all the excellent and obvious reasons the guys have spelled out here for me, but I really doubt TNA has the sense to pull the trigger on him now, I think it will happen later rather than sooner. Pick: Christian York
• C. J. Bradford: This is actually a bit of a toss up for me. King has looked amazing since joining TNA, and he has been getting some actual work. York, on the other hand, has more experience and time logged into the business. It all depends on who TNA is looking to push. I'm going to go with the younger star just because I think he has a higher ceiling. Pick: King
• Sean Rueter: I really don't want to see face vs face with RVD. What we've seen in flashes with King has been good. He deserves an opportunity to do more in a bigger spotlight. Pick: Kenny King
• Rex Ivanovic: King is the younger and more exciting talent. He has the talent to pull off a situation similar to Austin Aries, a X-division talent who is able to assert himself into the main event. If King doesn't take this victory, than TNA is shooting themselves in the foot. Pick: King
• Hollywood Wallace: The opportunity of a lifetime to take on a legend. Who knows how well either guy can hold up to this pressure! Pick: King

Rob Van Dam (RVD) defends against the winner of King v York (X Division Championship)

• The General: That means it would be RVD vs. King but instead of letting King win the title and hoping he brings a fresh face to the X Division scene, I can see TNA keeping the strap on Van Dam and letting him continue working with "up-and-coming" talent. Whatever. Pick: RVD
• Keith Harris: As I can't see either man winning two matches in a row, I think York will lose to RVD again. Pick: RVD
• Jesse Holland: King will prove victorious here by taking the title. RVD is painting by numbers at this point and if I have to see one more rolling thunder I'm going to hurl. It's time for the new kid on the block. Pick: Kenny King
• June M. Williams: Well, I went for York to go up against RVD here, despite my wanting it to be King. In this scenario, there is no way in hell York is going over RVD so this pick is a no brainer, in the event it is indeed RVD vs York... Pick: RVD (no matter who the challenger is)
• C. J. Bradford: RVD needs to lose the belt. He is too old, too slow, and too high to give a good match. The champion drops the title, and we may finally get to see the X Division rise again. Pick: King
• Sean Rueter: I don't know what else they'll do with Van Dam if he loses. So, maybe this continues a really long program between these two? Pick: RVD
• Rex Ivanovic: King has the potential to be a long term main eventer for TNA. King should go over here, and I am trusting TNA to do the right thing. Probably a fool heartily decision, but RVD will not walk out with the X-Division championship. Pick: King
• Hollywood Wallace: ...but Cinderella's carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight. RVD. Pick: RVD

Gail Kim vs. ODB vs. Miss Tessmacher vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky (Knockouts Championship: Gauntlet Match for Number-One Contender)

• The General: It's either James or Sky and right now, it's the latter. Pick: Velvet Sky
• Keith Harris: This match was so important that none of these women were on the go home episode of Impact, which shows how much thought went into this particular booking. I'd pick Velvet Sky to win, as I'd expect TNA's creative team would want to give her a big win on pay-per-view to kickstart her return to the promotion. Pick: Velvet Sky
• Jesse Holland: Velvet Sky is back and she's on her way to the championship. I don't think there's anyone who watches IMPACT! who doesn't already know that, so this match is really just a commercial for her upcoming title run. Pick: Velvet Sky
• June M. Williams: As a woman, I really ought to have some keen insight into this match. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't. I believe this is due to the fact women are not key in developing storylines at TNA. Since men are in charge, I will go with the one with the better junk in the trunk. Plus, I like that fabric, it is soft and pretty and... Squirrel! Pick: Velvet
• C. J. Bradford: Gail Kim should win this, because she is the best talent on the roster. Sky will win this, because she has the best ass on the roster. I should be more upset by this, but I'm not. Pick: Sky
• Sean Rueter: I would like them to do a long redemption story for VelVel. How being gone for a while made her re-focus and now she's back to climb the ladder, entertain the fans and kick ass. This would all lead to a big babyface win this summer. So I expect them to hot shot the title onto her in about two weeks instead. Pick: Velvet Sky
• Rex Ivanovic: This might be the hardest match to predict on the card. Tessmacher and James both have some good momentum, but I am going to go with the most talented wrestler. Mickie Jame will end up on the winning end of this match. Pick: James
• Hollywood Wallace: The Knockouts Division is the best women's wrestling league in the world. It's time for the best women's wrestler and Waterbury, CT's own to regain her rightful place. Pick: Velvet

Those are our picks and predictions, Cagesiders. What are yours?