NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #28: I Guess He Was Available

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #28
Date: January 15, 2003
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West

So last week was rather rough, with Vince Russo being the big focal point of the show and basically setting up his big NWO style us vs. them story. Naturally Russo is the big unstoppable star of the whole thing, with Jeff Jarrett leading the other side. Worry not though because Dusty Rhodes is here to even things out. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening recap looks at Jeff Jarrett vs. Vince Russo.

Mike Tenay sits down with Russo (of course) and asks him what he does as a wrestling TV writer (here we go). Russo says it’s all about the ratings and getting attention no matter what you have to do. He insults Tenay’s lack of creative abilities and says that wrestling has to evolve. Tenay brings up what really matters, asking if Russo takes any responsibility for killing WCW. He goes into a bunch of things that WCW did and complains about Russo’s ideas. Tenay even brings up specific audience and ratings numbers, which Russo doesn’t believe.

We finally move back to this promotion and Jeff Jarrett winning the World Title, with Russo ruining the moment. This sends Russo into a rant about how wrestling needs to be saved or Vince McMahon will own everything. And with that, Russo walks off. This was all of the inside baseball stuff that only Russo cares about as we rehash stuff from other companies that have nothing to do with what we’re seeing here. In other words, it’s very Russo as the fans wonder why they’re not watching wrestling instead.

Opening sequence.

Here is SEX to get things going, with the camera panning up and down Desire in a way that would have Jerry Lawler thinking it was a bit too obvious. Russo actually stands on a soap box and says this whole thing is about himself and Jeff Jarrett. They’re not the NWO so either step up or join them (sounds rather NWOish to me). Instead here is Percy Pringle to interrupt, saying he has known Russo longer than anyone. He remembers Russo begging him for an interview back in the day and now Russo has snuck his way inside.

Pringle says he has been around for a long time…and Russo might be right. He wants on the team but Russo yells at him for “cutting promos about me behind my back”. SEX beats Pringle down, even breaking the soap box over his head. Jorge Estrada tries to make a save and gets put through a table. Jeff Jarrett runs in with a chair for the real save. So yes, Russo and Jarrett are the big stars all over again.

Commentary runs down the card.

Tag Team Titles: America’s Most Wanted vs. Divine Storm

For the sake of simplicity, James Storm is “James” and Quiet Storm is “Quiet”. Divine Storm, with Trinity, is challenging and jump the champs from behind to start fast. That doesn’t go well as AMW (with a belt still on) clears the ring and Storm is backdropped onto the challengers at ringside. We settle down to James being sent outside, where Trinity snaps off a hurricanrana from the apron.

Back in and Divine’s tornado DDT gets two but he misses a top rope backsplash. Harris gets the tag to run both of them over without much trouble but Divine hits a big dive to take out both champs on the floor. Trinity moonsaults onto the pile and a super cutter gets two on Harris back inside. Divine is sent outside though and the Death Sentence finishes Quiet to retain the titles at 7:07.

Rating: C+. Divine Storm is the definition of a midcard team and while they weren’t the biggest threat to win the titles, it was better than throwing together a pair of random guys. This was a relatively easy win for AMW, even with Trinity out there as TNA’s answer to Lita. It’s working well enough, as Trinity certainly looks like a star.

Video on AJ Styles, showcasing his talents and pointing out that he turned down Vince Russo last week.

Here is Styles for a chat. He’s not with anyone and he wants the World Title. Cue Ron Killings, who says he’s next in line for the title and Styles doesn’t get a shot until he goes through Killings. Ring the bell.

Ron Killings vs. AJ Styles

Killings strikes away to start and grabs some armdrags to put him on the floor. Back in and a sunset flip gives Killings two but Styles hits what might have been a low blow. Styles nips up for a hurricanrana but Killings snaps off a Downward Spiral. That’s shrugged off though and Styles kicks him in the head, setting up a chinlock. A rather delayed suplex gives Styles two and he hits some shots in the corner.

Styles misses a dropkick and gets rolled up for a fast two, only to come back with a Muta Lock. Killings gets out and drops a headbutt to the ribs to start the comeback. They both go up top with Styles loading up a top rope superplex, which is reversed into…some kind of a crash to leave them both down. Cue Mortimer Plumtree for a distraction though, allowing David Flair to run in and hit Killings with his mystery bag to give Styles the pin at 8:49.

Rating: B-. I am absolutely for Styles moving up to the main event scene as you can absolutely see the talent in him. The World Title picture absolutely needs some younger blood and Styles is the right man for that spot. Beating a former World Champion is a good way to go and hopefully we’re on the way to Styles getting into the title picture soon.

Jeff Jarrett, with the Road Warriors, tells AJ Styles to get in line. Jarrett: “Now, let’s talk about Vince Russo.” He wants the Warriors with him in a six man tag tonight against Triple X (Christopher Daniels/Elix Skipper/Low Ki, as I don’t think they had officially debuted the name before). Naturally the Warriors are in.

Back in the arena, AJ Styles demands that Mike Tenay get him a World Title shot. Then he sits in the ring until he gets said shot, apparently thinking Tenay is that speedy. Instead he gets Larry Zbyszko of all people (the fans certainly like having him here) and calls Styles a fool. Zbyszko can’t stand Vince Russo and doesn’t want Styles to sell his soul to Russo. Styles tries to insist that he’s not with Russo but gets cut off over and over. Styles is ready to fight Zbyszko but it’s broken up in a hurry.

We look at Desire attacking Goldilocks and getting in a fight with Athena as a result.

Desire vs. April Hunter

Hunter jumps her to start and gets sent outside without much trouble. A side slam puts Desire down but she hits…I think a bulldog? Desire hits a dropkick but Hunter elbows her in the face. Sonny Siaki crotches Hunter on top though and Desire, eventually, jumps up for a hurricanrana and the pin at 2:49.

Post match Athena runs in for the brawl with Desire, who beats Athena down without much trouble.

A masked man, who is apparently Mr. Wrestling IV, arrives.

We look back at Mike Sanders’ debut last week. Yes we’re bragging about this one.

Here is Sanders for a chat. Apparently he’s SEX’s talent scout but he wants to talk about Vince Russo’s issues. Russo’s problems aren’t with wrestling, but rather with legends. It’s a difference of philosophy, which brings out Jerry Lynn. The challenge is on and we’re ready to go.

Jerry Lynn vs. Mike Sanders

Lynn starts fast and grabs a quick middle rope bulldog, followed by a baseball slide to send Sanders into the barricade. Back in and Lynn hammers away but here is Ron Harris for a distraction. Sanders gets in a cheap shot to take over and we hit the chinlock. Lynn avoids a Lionsault though and Lynn makes the rather quick comeback.

A high crossbody gets two but Harris pulls the referee out. Sanders’ swinging neckbreaker gets two from another referee but Lynn is back with a sunset bomb. Harris pulls the referee again but here is Dusty Rhodes to take Harris out (because the Harris Twins were invincible for months but Rhodes is different). A TKO finishes Sanders at 7:45.

Rating: C+. Ok there is at least a bit of sanity around here, as there was a grand total of no reason to have Sanders beat a star like Lynn. Sanders is not someone who is known for what he can do in the ring and Lynn is one of the more consistent stars around here. The good guys have to win something around here and this was a good choice.

Post match Rhodes says he’s glad that a man like Vince Russo is mad at him. Rhodes says we can’t lose tradition and talks about knowing wrestling was real when he was sitting in a cheap hotel room and seeing the NWA World Title sticking out of his bag. You do need change, but you need to respect the past as well. Do you want things like Ricky Steamboat wrestling for an hour seven nights a week or a midget doing things in a trashcan? Everyone has a choice so make your decision: professional wrestling or a midget with a trashcan.

Cue Russo, who says Rhodes never thanked him for inventing Goldust and making his son a star. Russo brags about getting to shave Ric Flair’s head bald and now he wants to slap the birthmark off of Rhodes’ gut. Rhodes invites him in to do it but Russo puts the two of them in tonight’s six man, making it an eight man instead. Oh but you know that’s not enough though, as Russo says that if his team wins, all of the titles are on the line next week. This was another case of “Russo writes himself to be on the level of legends”.

Jason Cross vs. David Young

They go to the mat to start and Cross grabs a hurricanrana as commentary ignores the match to talk about the main event (how WCW of them). They go outside with Young backdropping him against the ropes for two, which has commentary ignoring the match even further. Cross’ reverse DDT gets two and a flipping legdrop connects for the same. Young gets in a clothesline for two of his own but misses a charge in the corner. Cross gets crotched on top and here is Bob Armstrong to say the eight man tag is on. Crossfire misses though and a spinebuster gives Young the pin at 5:22.

Rating: C. Oh yeah this was straight out of Nitro’s NWO days, with almost no paying attention to the wrestling whatsoever. This was nothing more than a way to have something going on in the ring while commentary talked about what really mattered. It’s not a bad match, but it meant absolutely nothing and that was beyond obvious.

Post Bob Armstrong argues with his son Scott as Konnan gets in the ring to beat down both guys (further emphasizing how unimportant they were here). The NWA President (who was shown in the crowd during the match) orders him out and of course Konnan obeys. If nothing else, the President had a snazzy hat.

X-Division Title: Sonny Siaki vs. Kid Kash

Siaki, with Desire, is defending and Kash has Trinity with him. Kash clears him out to start and snaps off some armdrags back inside. Back up and Siaki knocks him to the floor, with Kash getting the better of a chop off. They head inside again with Kash getting suplexed into the corner for two. A sitout piledriver plants Kash for two but he runs the corner for a tornado DDT. Desire makes the save so Siaki is back up with the swinging neckbreaker to retain at 4:51.

Rating: C+. Well, at least commentary paid attention to them. It’s better than nothing but at the same time they only had so long to really do much. Siaki continues to work well as the villain you want to see get hit in the face, with Kash an acceptable enough challenger. At the same time, Trinity continues to look like a star, which hopefully goes anywhere.

Post match Trinity beats up Desire without much trouble.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Triple X/Vince Russo vs. Road Warriors/Jeff Jarrett/Dusty Rhodes

If Triple X and Russo win, SEX get title shots next week. Russo stays on the floor (He’s going to get the pin isn’t he?) as Jarrett clotheslines and backdrops Daniels to start. Animal comes in to shove Ki around without much trouble and counters Ki’s springboard into a sitout powerbomb. Skipper gets in a cheap shot but Animal suplexes Skipper and Ki at the same time. It’s back to Hawk for a dropkick to Skipper but Jarrett gets tripped down. Jarrett fights up again but gets taken to the floor for a lot of choking.

Back in and more choking ensues in the corner, followed by a front facelock from Ki. Animal gets the unseen tag so it’s off to Skipper for his own front facelock. Russo adds a slap from the apron and everything breaks down, meaning Jarrett’s small package doesn’t even get a count. Back up and a springboard kick Hart Attack sets up Daniels’ Boston crab on Jarrett. That’s broken up and they clothesline each other, allowing the tags to Rhodes and Skipper. Everything breaks down and Rhodes wants Russo (and his helmet). Cue Mr. Wrestling IV to hit Rhodes in the back with a chain though and Skipper gets the pin at 11:32.

Rating: C-. Well, Russo didn’t get the pin and I’m sure that’s good enough for everything. Russo barely did anything here so we’ll call that a plus, as it was basically a six man tag with Rhodes not doing much until the end. At least you had the other wrestlers doing ok, but dang Russo sucks the life out of everything he does.

And it’s…freaking Nikita Koloff of all people. Russo celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. As usual, the wrestling isn’t awful but it’s also pretty much not the point whatsoever. SEX is as NWO as you can get without being in black and white and Russo is getting to do everything he wants. He’s the entire focal point of the show with everyone either talking about him or joining him. It wasn’t the worst show, but that might be about as good as it gets. Oh and Koloff is here now because….well I’m guessing he was available.

Results
America’s Most Wanted b. Divine Storm – Death Sentence to Storm
AJ Styles b. Ron Killings – Bag to the head
Desire b. April Hunter – Hurricanrana
Jerry Lynn b. Mike Sanders – TKO
David Young b. Jason Cross – Spinebuster
Sonny Siaki b. Kid Kash – Swinging neckbreaker
Vince Russo/Triple X b. Dusty Rhodes/Road Warriors/Jeff Jarrett – Chain shot to Rhodes

 

 

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