NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #29: I’ve Been Watching This For Too Long
NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #29
Date: January 22, 2003
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West
It’s the Vince Russo/Sports Entertainment Xtreme show and last week saw the debut if Nikita Koloff of all people, as TNA brings in everyone they can find for whatever reasowen. Jeff Jarrett is still leading the charge against Russo, which explains a lot about the situation this show is in. Ok so it’s mainly Russo. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Jeremy Borash is in Australia because they’re debuting in Australia this week. I think.
SAT’s/Amazing Red vs. David Young/Shark Boy/Jimmy Yang
It’s a brawl to start with the SAT’s and Red whipping the other three into each other. That means stereo top rope elbows, followed by Red hitting a big dive to the floor. Shark Boy gets surfboarded so Red can hit a top rope dropkick to the ribs and we settle down to Shark Boy getting beaten up by Joel. That doesn’t last long though as it’s off to Yang, who whips Jose into the corner.
A German suplex drops Young for two but he suplexes Jose down hard. Jose fights up again and brings Red in to snap off a headscissors. Shark Boy dropkicks him out of the air though and it’s already back to Joel for a backdrop. Yang comes in for a cheap shot though and sends Joel outside, with a whip taking him into the barricade. Back in and a neckbreaker gives Shark Boy two but Joel kicks him away and gets the tag off to Jose.
A double clothesline puts Jose and Young down so it’s back to Yang to powerbomb Red for two. Everything breaks down and Young gives Red a spinebuster, which earns Young a missile dropkick from Jose. Yang and Red are left alone with Yang booting him in the face, only to have Yang Time broken up. A super Code Red gives Red the pin on Yang at 12:30.
Rating: B-. It was a wild match and exactly what they should have done to open the show. With Vince Russo around on the rest of the show, you have to take what you can get and a six man cruiserweight tag is one of the best ways to start a card. Having Red out there was a nice treat too, as he’s just fun to watch every time.
Post match Konnan runs in to beat the losers down and is taken out by police while saying that they know what this is about.
Commentary runs down the card.
Here is Sports Entertainment Xtreme, with Vince Russo bragging about the pay per view buyrates being up. Tonight is about getting the titles, so Elix Skipper and Low Ki are challenging for the Tag Team Titles. They already have the X-Division Title, so Sonny Siaki will in fact defend the title tonight in a three way dance against….one of the people Mike Tenay called the future of TNA a few weeks ago (Tenay’s eyes bugging out over this is rather appropriate) and Athena, because she’s still a thing.
This lets Tenay rant about Russo killing the WCW Cruiserweight division as Russo makes a four way elimination match for the World Title, with BG James, Christopher Daniels and Don Harris (all parts of the team) challenging Jeff Jarrett. Mike Sanders keeps up the Australian theme by introducing the Sports Entertainment Xtreme Australian Champion Ashley Hudson.
Ashley Hudson vs. Jorge Estrada
Non-title I’m assuming. Hudson (with his mustache) smacks him in the face to start but gets sent outside for a slingshot dive. That’s enough for Hudson to need a breather on the floor, which apparently works as he quickly takes over back inside. Estrada is sent right back to the floor and dropped onto the apron but awkwardly reverses a suplex back inside. A Lionsault gives Estrada two but Hudson crotches him on top. Estrada’s high crossbody connects, with Hudson rolling through and grabbing the tights for the pin at 5:02.
Rating: D+. Yeah there’s a reason you probably don’t remember Hudson, as other than looking a bit like Al Snow, there was nothing that made him stand out. The match was absolutely nothing notable but they had to tie it into the Australian thing for reasons. Nothing to see here and there is a good chance that’s going to continue.
Video on AJ Styles, who is young and brash, vs. Larry Zbyszko, who is old and old.
AJ Styles vs. Larry Zbyszko
Styles gets creative to start and stalls against Zbyszko, with no contact for the first minute. A quick takedown has Styles bailing into the corner, allowing Zbyszko to take him down by the leg. Zbyszko’s headscissors has Styles in trouble and it’s off to the armbar. Styles fights up and knocks him outside, where Zbyszko is sent face first into the steps.
Cue Mortimer Plumtree to watch as Zbyszko fights back, only to get tripped down on the way inside. Back in and Zbyszko forearms him down until Styles gets in a suplex. Styles heads up top and gets crotched down, only for Styles to roll him up and put his feet on the ropes for the pin at 5:52.
Rating: C. There is only so much you can do when that much of the match is spent stalling but you have to know that’s coming when Zbyszko is involved. Styles getting a win over another legend should move him up the card a bit, which is the best thing the company can do. Well outside of dropping the Russo stuff but that isn’t going to happen.
Post match Styles goes outside to yell at commentary. This show is having way too much Mike Tenay focus.
Jerry Lynn, with Ron Killings, talks about his long career but now he has to deal with Sports Entertainment Xtreme. He’ll be fighting no matter what.
David Flair/Mike Sanders vs. Ron Killings/Jerry Lynn
I’ve had nightmares about teams like that first one. The brawl starts fast with Lynn sunset flipping Sanders out of the corner for two. Flair gets chopped in the corner until Sanders gets in a cheap shot. A Hennig necksnap sets up a running kick to Lynn’s chest and he gets caught in the wrong corner. Lynn fights back against Flair but Sanders knocks him down for two.
A suplex gives Flair two more and it’s time to start in on the leg. Naturally the Figure Four is broken up but Flair gets in a clothesline to keep Lynn in trouble. The slow beating continues but Lynn is back up for the tag off to Killings. House is quickly cleaned and it’s back to Lynn, who gets nailed by something in a bag to give Sanders the pin at 7:52.
Rating: C-. Well, it could have been worse. They kept this simple and let Lynn, the best worker in the match, do most of the work. That’s the best possible option and the whole match could have been worse. That being said, I’m scared to know what is in that bag as it could be just about anything, and I do mean anything around here.
Post match Sanders suggests that Killings wants to join the team.
And now, In The Pit with Roddy Piper. He talks about various dead wrestlers and how Vince Russo is ruining the legends and history. Piper is in a ring and says this is the kind of place where young stars can learn. He’s seen people die in wrestling but there are people like Kid Kash who impress him. Piper will send people from Portland (where he is) to come after Russo. I actually understood most of this and that’s a step up for Piper.
Tag Team Titles: Low Ki/Elix Skipper vs. America’s Most Wanted
AMW is defending (the Tag Team Titles, rather than the X-Division Title as Jeremy Borash, who got here from Australia awfully fast, says). Storm and Ki start things off with Ki working on the arm and striking away. A jumping knee puts Storm down but he clotheslines his way out of trouble. It’s off to Harris to start in on the arm and the old Rockers’ rolling leg snap into the double right hand knocks Skipper off the apron.
Ki gets tossed at Skipper as Christopher Daniels is here to panic. Skipper gets cuttered and Thesz pressed for some left hands but Daniels offers a distraction. That means Skipper can get in a boot to the head and the champs are in trouble for a change. Skipper grabs a half crab and cranks on the leg before switching over to a chinlock. Ki comes back in with an elbow to the face and the front facelock, meaning the tag to Harris…isn’t seen, as always.
It’s back to Skipper for a top rope knee to the back but Storm gets in a shot of his own. That’s FINALLY enough for the tag to Harris as house is quickly cleaned. Everything breaks down and a Blue Thunder Bomb gets a VERY delayed two on Ki. Storm saves Harris from some weird Octopus variation but Daniels’ distraction lets Ki break up the Death Sentence. That earns Ki a spinning Rock Bottom but Skipper gets in a belt shot for the pin and the titles at 15:19.
Rating: B. In a different way from the opener, this was a case of taking talented wrestlers and letting them do their thing without a bunch of insanity dragging it down. As usual, the solution to a dull show/promotion is good wrestling and we got that here. Russo and company had to win some titles so they feel more important, which is what we got here, along with the X-Division Title match.
Bob Armstrong says Jeff Jarrett is the last hope. Oh joy.
X-Division Title: Chris Vaughn vs. Athena vs. Sonny Siaki
Siaki, with Desire, is defending and beats on Vaughn as Athena hides in the corner. Vaughn gets in a rollup for two and a dropkick as Desire beats up Athena on the floor. A pumphandle Tombstone finishes Vaughn to retain the title at 1:31.
Post match Trinity runs in to go after Desire and Kid Kash takes Siaki out.
Goldilocks is invited into the Sports Entertainment Xtreme locker room for a celebration, which is mainly due to her wearing a white shirt.
Here is Dusty Rhodes, with a chain, for a chat. Rhodes gets right to the point of putting over Jeff Jarrett and mocking Vince Russo, who is all evil and ruining wrestling. Other than that though, he wants to talk to Nikita Koloff face to face so get out here right now. Cue Koloff, with Rhodes talking about how Koloff used to be tough and not a sellout. Then he talks about Koloff taking the place of the injured Magnum TA and becoming a good man.
That all changed last week but now Rhodes wants to forgive things and be the Superpowers again. Koloff goes towards the ring but here is Vince Russo to rant about saving the business and the stupidity of tradition. Sports Entertainment Xtreme jumps Rhodes and Koloff leaves on his own. That’s enough for Mike Tenay to storm off.
NWA World Title: BG James vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Don Harris vs. Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett is defending in an elimination (pin/submission/over the top, which sounds rather dumb from Russo) match and Tenay gives him a pep talk in the back. That’s enough to make him start fast but thankfully the numbers game gets the better of him rather quickly. They go outside where Jarrett gets in some chair shots but is eventually sent into the barricade.
Jarrett is busted open and the beating continues into the crowd, because TAKING JARRETT INSIDE AND THROWING HIM OVER THE TOP is too much for three guys to ask. They walk around the arena with Daniels hammering away but missing a dive off a balcony through a table. Jarrett gets in some more chair shots and they head back inside while Daniels is still down in the crowd. James punches the barely standing Jarrett because, again, THEY CAN’T JUST THROW HIM OVER THE TOP!
Harris hits the big boot and James’ shaky knee drop gets two. The pumphandle slam (with various hip thrusting) gets two and there’s an assisted powerbomb, with James shoving referee Scott Armstrong (his brother) down, which means Armstrong won’t count. Armstrong beats up James so Jarrett knocks James and Harris over the top for the double elimination.
Cue Dusty Rhodes to go after James as well and he goes into Sports Entertainment Xtreme’s locker room to beat up most of the team. Back in and Jarrett is caught in the Koji Clutch, followed by a quick Best Moonsault Ever for two. Daniels goes up again and dives into the Stroke to retain the title at 10:27.
Rating: D+. Yeah this was the kind of idiocy that you had to expect in a match like this and naturally Jarrett gets to overcome the odds and save the day because he’s Jarrett and we’re not. The match was the usual wild brawling with Russo’s booking being the thing that lets the good guy get out as always. In other words, how late WCW of them.
Post match the locker room (who did nothing to help during the match) comes out to celebrate with Jarrett. Before Jarrett can talk, cue the debuting Raven to run in and DDT Jarrett. Raven steals the belt and leaves with Russo and company because of course he does.
Overall Rating: C-. You know, I actually didn’t hate this. They had some good action in there to carry the show, though it only got them so far with the Russo/Rhodes/Koloff stuff. It’s very much still a Russo style show, but he was limited in talking time here and that helped so much. Raven showing up at the end was a nice boost too, and hopefully he can help bring some needed spice into the main event scene. Honestly not a terrible show. Not a great one, but they’ve done FAR worse.
Results
Amazing Red/SAT’s b. David Young/Jimmy Yang/Shark Boy – Super Code Red to Yang
Ashley Hudson b. Jorge Estrada – Rollup with tights
AJ Styles b. Larry Zbyszko – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Mike Sanders/David Flair b. Ron Killings/Jerry Lynn – Bag shot to Lynn
Low Ki/Elix Skipper b. America’s Most Wanted – Belt shot to Harris
Sonny Siaki b. Athena and Chris Vaughn – Pumphandle Tombstone to Vaughn
Jeff Jarrett b. Don Harris, BG James and Christopher Daniels last eliminating Daniels
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