NWA Powerrr – December 3, 2019: In With The Older
IMG Credit: National Wrestling Alliance
Powerrr
Date: December 3, 2019
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Joe Galli, Jim Cornette
It’s the finale of the first set of tapings and the go home show for Into The Fire, which is going to be taking place in about a week and a half. The big main event for tonight is the Rock N Roll Express getting their shot at the Tag Team Titles, which could be a feel good moment, a really bad idea, or both. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video looks at a little bit of everything happening so far, capped off with a look at the Express.
Into The Fire.
Galli welcomes us to the season finale and thanks us for watching. To the opener!
Ricky Starks vs. Colt Cabana
Non-title. Hold on though as here are Aron Stevens and the Question Mark, with the former asking what he has to do to get a National Title shot. Cabana goes over to the interview desk and says he’s tired of hearing about this. If Stevens wants a title shot, he can have one if he can beat Starks right now. And Question Mark can go to the back for a bonus.
Aron Stevens vs. Ricky Starks
Stevens has his flesh colored trunks on again. A throw with the scarf has Starks down early on but he’s right back with a spear for two. That’s enough to send Stevens over to the ropes and he’s pointing at his knee. Cue the Question Mark as Dave Marquez comes over to talk to Stevens. Mark lays out Starks…and the knee is fine to give Stevens the pin at 2:30. That was a lot put into two and a half minutes but it worked fine.
Into The Fire ad.
James Storm will be challenging Nick Aldis for the World Title at Into The Fire in a 2/3 falls match. Each will get to pick their own referee for a fall apiece, with a coin flip determining the referee for the third fall.
Storm talks about Kamille whispering something to him last week and Aldis not knowing what was said. On another point though, Storm thinks there is a conspiracy against him trying to become World Champion. There was an unspecified incident at an NWA pop up event and then he became #1 contender in a match that never saw the light of day. Is it that hard to imagine him being World Champion? Is that something so bad? Storm has picked Brian Hebner as his referee, because he knows Hebner won’t do anything to cheat him. If Aldis’ referee cheats though, it isn’t going to go well.
Highspots.com ad.
Video on the Question Mark, who loves ka-ra-te.
Video of Nick Aldis confronting the Great Muta at WrestleCade. Aldis laid the title down and said anywhere, anytime.
Here’s Melina for a chat. She gives people a purpose around here, because people care about her. Allysin Kay is going to have to work hard to keep the title from here, so here is Kay to threaten to slap the smug look off Melina’s face. Kay is ready to fight but Melina, not exactly in wrestling gear, walks away instead. Cue Marti Belle and Thunder Rosa to beat Kay down, including the rapid fire drum beats for reasons I still don’t quite get.
Tony Falk wants you to buy waffles and tire irons.
The Rock N Roll Express want the titles back.
Nick Aldis talks about the triple threat match between Storm, Ken Anderson and Eli Drake which never made air. Storm knows why it was never shown and wasn’t recognized: because Storm talked his way into the match, as he always does. Aldis: “We aren’t in TNA anymore.” Storm hasn’t earned a thing and the three way was a mess with all kinds of interference anyway. So why is Storm #1 contender now? Aldis went and told the NWA that he wanted Storm to get the title shot.
See, Storm is going to make a lot of noise and ask for what he wanted. That’s why Aldis is giving him everything he wants, so he can shut Storm up for good. As for the referee, it’s the man who put up everything for this title: Tim Storm. Kamille is brought up again and due to all of the controversy, Kamille has the night off (with pay) at Into The Fire. After that, it’s back to normal with Kamille back at his side.
Powerrr is back on December 17 with Into The Fire fallout.
Tag Team Titles: Rock N Roll Express vs. Wild Cards
The Cards are defending but the fans are WAY into the Express. Latimer runs Morton over with pure power to start so it’s a blind tag to bring in Gibson for a double shoulder. Isaacs comes in and powers out of a full nelson before avoiding a charge to send Gibson into the post. The champs start switching to stay on Gibson but the charge into the corner allows the hot tag to Morton. Cornette is WAY too excited for a pretty slow motion comeback. The double dropkick gets two on Latimer so Morton shoves them together and rolls Isaacs up for the pin and the titles at 5:02.
Rating: D+. I don’t think there’s any secret to the fact that this was ALL about the moment and not the wrestling. Yes the Express winning got the biggest reaction of the night, but at the same time, having this be their big moment for the season finale doesn’t exactly help with the stigma of the NWA being stuck in the past. Both members of the Express are in their 60s and while they’re not embarrassing themselves, there isn’t much of a future for them, or much of a way to draw in younger fans. It was a nice moment, but that might not be the best thing right now.
Cornette goes into the ring to celebrate with the new champs.
Galli thanks Cornette for everything he has done for the NWA.
The Express says it wasn’t about beating someone but outsmarting them.
The Wild Cards get their rematch at Into The Fire, along with Cabana vs. Starks vs. Stevens for the National Title.
Into The Fire rundown.
Aldis introduces Cornette’s replacement on commentary: Stu Bennett (Bad News Barrett).
Overall Rating: C. These half and half shows have been a completely different breed and the more I think about them, the more I like them. Having their regular TV shows hasn’t been helping things, but this show made me want to see the World Title match a good bit more. Both Powerrr and Into The Fire have taken some major hits in recent weeks though and I don’t think that is going to get any better with a week off before the pay per view.
Results
Aron Stevens b. Ricky Starks – Mongrobian Spike
Rock N Roll Express b. Wild Cards – Rollup to Isaacs
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Yeah…I’ve tried to get into this but this just sealed the deal that the NWA just isn’t for me. Too many episodes are like 5 minutes of wrestling while the rest is talking; that’s not such a bad thing every once in a great while but that’s generally part for the course for Powerrr. This episode, as I understand it, was taped a little over 2 months ago and the National Wrestling Alliances reigning and defending World Tag Team Champions are two men with a combined age of 124 that went over two men in their physical prime a good 30 years younger? Yeah… I think I’m done. It’s hard to gripe about all the bonehead decisions WWE makes sometimes when some of those same fans who bust WWE’s balls will turn around and willingly accept two guys who’re eligible for social security being competitive tag champions for a well known wrestling federation.
I am a big Cornette fan, but he cannot possibly rail against Marko Stunt the way he does (and rightfully so), and then jump up and down and clap for the fans when a pair of geriatrics win the tag titles over two guys that look like Royce and Latimer who aren’t half bad in the ring. They can’t even cut a decent promo anymore.