NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #15 (2025 Edition): Wait What Now?

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #15
Date: October 2, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Don West, Mike Tenay

Things are are…well I’m not sure if picking up is the right turn, but the big story is AJ Styles getting an X-Division Title shot against Jerry Lynn. Other than that, Jeff Jarrett is still dealing with BG James, because that’s a story that needs to continue. There are good parts to the show but they are few and far between. Hopefully the good gets a focus this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here are BG James and Syxx Pac to get things going. James rhymes about wanting Jeff Jarrett and company to come to the ring (with some Gilligan’s Island references sprinkled in). If Ron Killings is the future, they’re in trouble, so Killings can get out here too. Syxx-Pac agrees before James calls Killings out.

Cue Killings, drawing an OVERRATED chant, and he wants to fight. Syxx Pac issues the challenge but here is Jeff Jarrett to say he’s ready to fight too. Scott Hall isn’t here though, so we’ll make it a handicap match, with these two joining Jarrett. Cue Elix Skipper and Brian Lawler to jump the good guys from behind but James and Pac clear the ring. James can still talk but my goodness he feels forced in there.

We run down the card.

Amazing Red vs. Shark Boy

Elix Skipper is on commentary. They go with the grappling to start and that’s good for an early standoff. Shark Boy starts in on the leg before a neckbreaker gets two. Red kicks him out to the floor but Shark Boy is back in with a missile dropkick. They go outside with Shark Boy hitting a suplex, followed by a running flip dive.

Red shrugs that off and hits his own running flip dive, only for Shark Boy to hit a super Jackhammer of all things for two. Red’s middle rope jumping neckbreaker gets two more, as does Shark Boy’s Dead Sea Drop (Diamond Dust). Shark Boy tries it again, which is reversed into a reverse DDT. The Infrared sets up a running corkscrew shooting star press to pin Shark Boy at 6:52.

Rating: B-. Standard X-Division match with both of them flying around and doing their thing, which worked out well. The good thing is that the people in the division are talented, but they can only do so much with a limited amount of time. Then again I’m always a sucker for Diamond Dust so we’ll call it a good one.

Post match Skipper runs in to beat down Red and then beats up security…until Don Harris chases him off.

We recap Ron Killings getting pinned by Jerry Lynn. Now Low Ki is coming for the World Title, but he also doesn’t like Syxx-Pac. Ki doesn’t like the World Title being treated as more important than the X-Division Title so prepare for a new champion. The mirror behind them showing not only that they are in the restroom but also the cameraman doesn’t help either.

Here is Ron Killings to say he is Low Ki’s bullseye. He wants the match right now so get out here.

NWA World Title: Ron Killings vs. Low Ki

Killings is defending and slugs away to start, only for Ki to strike back. A big kick sends Killings outside but he knocks Ki into the crowd. They brawl up to the stage and then back to the ring, where an ax kick gives Killings two. Something like an STF goes on but Ki is quickly up with a rolling kick to the head.

Killings is right back with a powerslam for two but a 450 misses. Ki’s dragon sleeper over the ropes has Killings in more trouble until he hits a kneeling MuscleBuster. Another dragon sleeper is broken up and Killings catches him on the top. Killings’ super gordbuster retains the title at 12:59.

Rating: B-. As usual, it helps when you let the talented wrestlers do their thing, which is what we got here. Killings is doing rather well in this role and it’s a good sign to see the X-Division guys rubbing elbows with the main eventers. It would be nicer to see them win some more of these matches, but I’ll take what I can get.

Post match Killings grabs the mic but a guy in a white hoodie runs in to beat him down. We don’t see who it is.

SATs vs. Flying Elvises

For a future Tag Team Title shot. Jose works on Estrada’s arm to start and snaps off a hurricanrana. Estrada fights back and hands it off to Yang for a spinwheel kick. A middle rope hurricanrana takes Yang down though and Joel comes in for a belly to back suplex. The slingshot hilo gets two on Yang and a running clothesline in the corner gets the same.

Yang is up with a moonsault press for two of his own as the manager in a vest and Sonny Siaki are (separately) watching. It’s back to Estrada to clean house but a guillotine legdrop misses. A springboard high crossbody sends Jose into a sunset flip for two and Siaki gets on the apron. For some reason Estrada goes for the tag but Siaki drops to the floor, allowing the SATs to hit a doomsday cutter for the pin at 8:49.

Rating: B-. Another match where they were allowed to fly around the ring and do their stuff, which worked well. If nothing else, it’s nice to see the SATs, as in anyone other than Ron Harris, in the title picture. The division is only kind of a thing at the moment, so putting more and more teams in there is going to help build it up.

Post match Jerry Lynn jumps Siaki in the back but AJ Styles makes the save and Lynn gets double teamed. They throw Lynn into an anvil case and Styles sits down on top of it.

Sonny Siaki vs. David Young

The muscular Young knocks Siaki to the floor to start but Siaki does it right back to him. The fight on the floor goes to Young, who throws Siaki back inside for two. Back up and Siaki ties him in the Tree of Woe for some shoulders to the ribs, followed by some hard forearms for a near fall. A belly to belly sends Young into the corner but he snaps off a spinebuster. Young’s moonsault misses though and a fisherman’s neckbreaker gives Siaki the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C. And there goes the string of overly good matches. It wasn’t quite a squash, but Siaki was only going to be able to do so much. What mattered here was getting him in the ring though and building him up for something bigger. Nothing particularly interesting to see here, but I’ll take that over something stupid.

We look back at Chris Harris and James Storm retaining the Tag Team Titles over Ron Harris and Brian Lee last week, only for Ron to jump them after the match.

Ron Harris and newcomer Ashley Hudson are coming for the Tag Team Titles. And his brother Don better not forget the pact they made last week. Don’t worry about what that means.

Tag Team Titles: Chris Harris/James Storm vs. Ashley Hudson/Ron Harris

Harris and Storm are defending. Storm and Hudson lock up to start, with Hudson bailing to the floor for a chase. Back in and Hudson hammers away but Storm snaps off a running headscissors. Chris comes in for two off a bulldog but Ron send shim to the floor. A dropkick and high crossbody have Ron in trouble though and it’s back to Hudson.

Storm gets a boot up in the corner to cut off a charge but Hudson is right back with a superplex. Ron comes in for some running corner clotheslines and Hudson chokes on the ropes. The middle rope fist misses though and Storm brings Chris back in to clean house. Ron boots Hudson down by mistake and Chris steals the retaining pin at 7:05.

Rating: D+. So again, the Tag Team Champions aren’t good enough to win, but rather they retain because Harris hit something. This promotion has a weird love affair with the Harris Twins and I don’t know if I want to know why. Either way, it was another bad match which was designed to make Harris look important while the champs just came along for the ride. In other words, the focus is all wrong, again.

Post match Ron lays all three of them out. Don Harris comes out to drop Ron with one right hand.

The Flying Elvises rescue Jerry Lynn.

X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn

Lynn is defending in a ladder match. Styles starts fast with a neckbreaker over the ropes and then follows up with a regular version. A slingshot hilo onto Lynn onto the ladder connects so Styles grabs a chair, which is dropkicked into his face. The ladder is sat up in the corner but Styles reverses Lynn’s whip for the big crash. Styles climbs up, seemingly for the sole purposes of getting powerbombed back down.

The ladder is slammed into Lynn’s back and a Death Valley Driver sends him into the ladder again. It’s finally time to bother climbing for the title, which allows Lynn to pull him down for the big crash. The ladder is rammed into Styles as Sonny Siaki comes down again. Styles gets in a shot of his own and goes up, only to get knocked down in a hurry.

Lynn goes up this time but Styles shoves the ladder over, sending Lynn into the referee. A shot to the head busts Styles open and Lynn hurricanranas him off the ladder. Styles suplexes him off the ladder for another knockdown but Lynn does it right back to him. Lynn goes up as Styles climbs the buckle, meaning it’s a pair of stereo dives so they collide in the air. Cue Siaki to ringside so Lynn dives onto him, only for Styles to dive onto both of them. Styles goes up to get the belt and win at 17:28.

Rating: B. Yeah of course it’s entertaining as it’s a ladder match between Styles and Lynn, but it’s not like they need the ladder to have a good match. I’m sure the idea was to give the fans something they wanted to see, but dang this promotion is liking ladder matches way too much. They’re also getting dangerously close to burning this feud out and that’s not a good thing when it’s one of their few solid pieces.

Post match Lynn goes after Siaki so Styles and Siaki beat him down. Cue Bob Armstrong to say that’s not right so we’ll have a rematch next week. As in another ladder match, with Lynn DEFENDING because Armstrong is giving the title back to him. FOR WHAT? Interference? A post match beatdown? Good grief. Oh and great: ANOTHER ladder match.

Don West does his hype for next week.

Brian Lawler/Jeff Jarrett vs. BG James/Syxx Pac

Before the match, Pac suggests he is sleeping with Lawler’s girlfriend and offers to let him watch. Ok then. Anyway the brawl is on fast with everyone fighting on the floor. Jarrett goes inside and dropkicks Pac, who is right back with a suplex on Lawler. James comes in but Jarrett gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Lawler can hit a superkick. A bulldog gives Lawler two but a second attempt is broken up.

That’s enough for Pac to come in and everything breaks down. The Bronco Buster hits Jarrett but cue Elix Skipper to X Factor Pac to give Lawler two. Back in and the sleeper gives Jarrett two arm drops before Pac reverses, only to get crotched on top. James comes back in to make the save and hits a quick pumphandle slam to pin Lawler at 9:41.

Rating: C. It’s fine, but there was no way this was going to be able to follow the ladder match. That’s one of the biggest problems with TNA right now: they focus WAY too much on the “star power” without realizing that those people can’t back it up. Lawler’s nonsense with his girlfriend isn’t interesting, Jarrett is Jarrett, James is nothing but rhyming and Pac is….well he’s actually good. That’s nowhere near enough to warrant this spot though and that’s been obvious since the start of the company.

Post match Jarrett and Skipper run in for the beatdown. Amazing Red and the SAT’s come in for the save but Jarrett cleans house with a chair. Ron Killings is in as well and the big heel beatdown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show felt more focused and that’s a good sign. What matters the most is that they didn’t have as much of the insanity throughout the show, with only the Tag Team Title match being weak, pretty much entirely due to Ron Harris. They have talented people around here and it works when they slow down and let those wrestlers do their thing. If only the focus could shift from the older names (who do have a place around here) to someone else, we could be in for a much better show. For now though, the action carries this one rather well, but that might not last forever.

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #13 (2025 Edition): Those Aren’t The People You’re Looking For

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #13
Date: September 18, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West

We’re in kind of a weird place here as the company has been gone for a bit, with only the Best Of The X-Division airing two weeks ago. Things have needed to change somewhat due to financial problems and that could be quite the shakeup around here. Jerry Lynn is the X-Division Champion but tonight is about crowning new Tag Team Champions. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Goldilocks talks about tonight’s Gauntlet For The Gold for the Tag Team Titles and here is Scott Hall, who will be teaming with Syxx Pac.

Commentary hypes up the show.

Earlier today, Jeff Jarrett tells Brian Lawler that he can trust him and implies that Lawler’s girlfriend is cheating on him.

Here is Jarrett, who wants Bob Armstrong out here right now. Jarrett immediately goes to the back but gets jumped by the Bullet. The fight comes back to the ring and it is indeed Brian James (Road Dogg) underneath the mask. James talks about walking out on the WWF with Jarrett but then he went back to become part of a team called DX. He’s so mad that he’s going to….win the Tag Team Titles tonight. His mama called him BG so his name is BG James, and the G stands for “Get it, got it, good”. So his name is BGIGIG James? Doesn’t make for a great t-shirt.

Sonny Siaki is back with the Flying Elvises and compares himself to Shawn Michaels, who needed to be a teammate before he became a singles star. Oh and he wants Jerry Lynn to win the World Title.

Kid Kash vs. AJ Styles

Before the match, Styles promises to come for the X-Division Title because he isn’t done with Jerry Lynn. They fight over wrist control to start and Styles ducks the spinwheel kick. A legsweep takes Kash down but he sends Styles out to the apron and out to the floor. The flip dive connects but Styles is back up with a moonsault out to the floor. Back in and a springboard dropkick connects with Kash, followed by a TKO onto the top rope.

A diving spinning Downward Spiral takes Kash down again but he’s back up with a German suplex for two back inside. Styles gets in a dropkick to the ribs and a hurricanrana brings Kash down again. Kash gets knocked into 619 position and a dropkick to the back gives Styles two. Back up and a springboard missile dropkick is kicked out of the air, allowing Kash to score with some clotheslines. Kash takes him up top but Styles fights out and hits a super Styles Clash for the win at 9:57.

Rating: B-. As usual, Styles is capable of doing just about anything and Kash is someone who can fly around well enough. The finish looked rather good and I want to see more of Styles every time he’s in there. He has been one of if not the best things about this promotion so far and it has been great to see him getting some time in there rather than being stuck in a four minute match.

Buff Bagwell is here for a second chance. BG James comes in and asks Bagwell to be his partner tonight. Sure.

And now, Dustin Diamond, better known as Screech from Saved By The Bell. He talks about being in Celebrity Boxing and wants to fight tonight. Don West volunteers Tiny the Timekeeper (later known as Big Fat Oily Guy).

The Hot Shots aren’t happy that they have to qualify for Gauntlet For The Gold. Disco Inferno comes in but Goldilocks does not have time for him.

Dustin Diamond vs. Tiny The Timekeeper

Tiny has no idea what he’s doing and gets knocked out in about 40 seconds.

Ace Steel/CM Punk vs. Derek Wylde/Jimmy Rave vs. Hot Shots

The team who takes the fall is out of Gauntlet For The Gold. Punk takes O’Reilly down to start and grabs a waistlock but gets knocked into the corner to cut him off. That doesn’t last long as Steel comes in with a brainbuster but Stevens cuts him off with a sitout powerbomb. Rave comes in and gets Michinoku Drivered into an Arabian Moonsault for two.

The handspring elbow sets up a double basement dropkick into an assisted moonsault for two. O’Reilly hits a gordbuster for two but a Lionsault hits raised knees. Punk comes in to clean house, including the running dive to hit Stevens on the floor. More dives connect, leaving Steel to hit a Gory Stretch neckbreaker to finish O’Reilly at 7:35.

Rating: C+. This match is noteworthy for one reason whatsoever and that’s something that wouldn’t matter for a long time. Punk was just a young kid at this point trying to make a name for himself and that is where a place like TNA could be useful. It was a nothing match, but they got to do their dives and flips and that’s better than nothing.

Chris Harris and James Storm are ready to win the Tag Team Titles because they are the best team around here.

Here are Scott Hall and Syxx Pac, with Hall talking about their history together. Pac talks about how they’re here out of their love for wrestling. They’ll likely get fired from here too so let’s make it work while it lasts. Brian Lee and Ron Harris run in and are quickly laid out.

Brian Lawler is paranoid about his girlfriend.

Here is Hermie Sadler for a chat. He respects these people and announces that NWA-TNA will be sponsoring his car in an upcoming race. At least it was short.

Miss TNA: Bruce vs. ???

Bruce is defending and Hermie Sadler is on commentary. We get the open challenge and a fan (indy wrestler Christi Ricci) answers. The fast beating ensues, with Bruce hitting a powerbomb to retain at 1:10. This stuff is still so freaking dumb.

Post match Sadler comes in to clear Bruce out.

Jerry Lynn is happy with being the X-Division Champion but he wants to beat Ron Killings, who is the best today. Killings comes in and says oh yes he is the best.

Tag Team Titles: Gauntlet For The Gold

The titles are vacant coming in. This is a Royal Rumble with one minute intervals and wrestlers entering one at a time. When we’re down to two, the partners come back and we have a regular tag match for the titles. Brian Lawler is in at #1 and James Storm is in at #2, with Lawler using the ropes for a low blow to start fast. Storm fights up but gets suplexed down. Joel Maximo is in at #3 and he teals up with Storm to go after Lawler.

Derek Wylde is in at #4 and Lawler tosses him almost immediately. Lawler kicks Joel out and tosses Storm as well to clear the ring, meaning it’s time to dance. Buff Bagwell is in at #5 and hits the running neckbreaker before hammering away in the corner. Kobain is in at #6 and fires off some clotheslines, but Lawler drops both of them. Ace Steel is in at #7 and gets in the offense you would expect. Jorge Estrada is in at #8 and doesn’t get to do much, as Brian Lee is in at #9.

Syxx Pac is in at #10 to pick the pace way up, including a bunch of kicks and an X Factor on Estrada. Kobain is out and CM Punk (partner of Ace Steel) is in at #11….as Steel is eliminated. Lawler cuts Pac off with a powerslam and Jimmy Rave (partner of Derek Wylde) is in at #12. Raven and Estrada double team Punk in the corner but Punk bulldogs his way to freedom. Ron Harris (partner of Brian Lee) is in at #13 and helps Lee get rid of Estrada, Rave, Punk and Bagwell in a row.

Lawler is out and BG James (partner of Buff Bagwell) is in at #14. James slugs away on Harris until Jose Maximo (partner of Joel Maximo) is in at #15…and Harris tosses him out in three seconds (Jose’s feet never touched the mat). A double spinebuster plants Pac, who is right back up with a double clothesline. Cue Lawler to offer a distraction though, allowing Pac to get tossed out.

Slash (partner of Kobain) is in at #16 and James gets triple teamed. Sonny Siaki (partner of Jorge Estrada) is in at #17 and goes after Slash as James can’t quite fight back. Disco Inferno (partner of Brian Lawler) is in at #18 and gets thrown into the corner as Scott Hall (partner of Syxx Pac) is in at #19.

Hall slugs away at Harris and dumps him out before clotheslining Slash out as well. Chris Harris (partner of James Storm) is in at #20 to complete the field and Siaki misses a charge to eliminate himself. Inferno stops to dance and gets punched out by Hall and James, who then slug it out. Lee tosses both of them at once though, leaving he and Harris as the winners at 23:12.

Rating: C-. It was a mostly dull Royal Rumble with two winners, one of whom represents a lame, thrown together monster tag team. I can’t believe I’m saying this but if you want to use one of the Harris Brothers, put the two of them together and let them do what they’ve done for years. That being said, the only thing that mattered here was Chris Harris and Storm advancing and that went fine.

And that leads us into:

Tag Team Titles: Chris Harris/James Storm vs. Brian Lee/Ron Harris

For the vacant titles and Harris jumps Storm on the stage. Cue Jeff Jarrett to brawl with BG James to the back as Chris gets double teamed by the monsters. Ron kicks Storm through the apron but Storm gets in anyway, only to be double teamed right back down. Naturally a table is set up….but it takes so long that Chris gets a rollup to pin Lee for the titles at 4:54.

Rating: D. What was that? The whole point of this was to crown new champions and they give the young, talented team a quick rollup win while one of the stupid monsters picks up a table? If you want the new champs to look good, then let them look good. This felt like a way to protect Ron and Lee and….why?

BG James is rather busted open in the back.

NWA World Title: Ron Killings vs. Jerry Lynn

Only Killings is defending and he starts fast by knocking Lynn down. Lynn is back up with some right hands and a slingshot elbow connects in the corner. Back up and Killings sends him to the floor, where Lynn is dropped onto the announcers’ table. Lynn is busted open as they get back inside, where Killings grabs a belly to back suplex for two. A spinning sunset flip out of the corner gives Lynn two of his own but Killings side kicks him in the face.

They head outside again where Lynn sends him into the barricade, only for Killings to go after the bloody cut again. Back in and Killings grabs a surfboard of all things, followed by a big boot for two. Lynn’s spinning sunset flip gets another near fall (and a nice hope spot) as AJ Styles comes out to watch. Cue the Maximos and the rest of the X-Division to cheer Lynn on and the comeback begins. Lynn goes up but the referee stops to yell at Styles, leaving Sonny Siaki to shove Lynn off the top. A running cutter retains the title at 12:27.

Rating: B-. This right here shows that TNA is already ahead of WCW in one major area: can you imagine the Cruiserweight Champion getting involved with the World title picture? There was a wide gap between the two title pictures before and now they’re doing a better job of spreading them out. That’s a great sign and gives me some hope for the X-Division, assuming they actually keep it up.

Don West hypes up next week’s show.

Ron Killings and Jeff Jarrett pop back up, double teaming BG James back to the ring. Scott Hall and Syxx Pac run in for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Well, they certainly focused on the Tag Team Titles, but the execution of the two matches involving them was so weak that it brought the rest of the show down. I’m also really not happy with so much of the focus being on the “names” again as Hall, Pac, Bagwell and James got A LOT of the attention here. That’s a bad sign after seeing the X-Division get so much attention but maybe it’s just a one off. Not a good show, but for different reasons than before.

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #12 (Best Of The X-Division, 2025 Edition): The Tale Of Three

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #12
Date: September 4, 2002
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West, Ed Ferrara
Hosts: Jeremy Borash, Goldilocks

And now, for something you might have seen before, as the company is trying to find a way to save some money so we’re getting a Best Of show. Thankfully it’s the best of the X-Division, which is pretty easily the best thing about the company so far. That being said, it’s not a great sign when you need something like this just a few months in but here we are. Let’s get to it.

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

Note that I’ll be including the full versions of the matches even if the versions aired here are clipped.

Various fans, wrestlers and TNA personalities talk about the X-Division and how special it is. While it’s still just the old cruiserweight division all over again, they’re treating it as something important and that’s a good thing to see after so many years of WCW never coming close.

Jeremy Borash and Goldilocks welcome us to the show and talk about how great the division has been from the beginning.

From Weekly PPV #1:

AJ Styles/Low Ki/Jerry Lynn vs. Flying Elvises

The Elvises would be Sonny Siaki/Jorge Estrada/Jimmy Yang and they jump the other three to start. Lynn is right up for a dive onto Siaki as Styles powerslams Yang. Lynn comes in with a backbreaker for two on Yang as this is all action to start. Back up and Yang sends Lynn into the corner for the step up moonsault kick too the chest. It’s off to Siaki, who gets sent into the corner so Ki can come in to strike away. An over the shoulder backbreaker plants Ki before a Samoan drop into a moonsault gets two.

A neckbreaker out of the corner into a running shooting star press gets two on Ki but he’s back with a heck of a kick to the head. It’s back to Styles for the springboard moonsault into the reverse DDT for two as everything breaks down. Lynn Cradle Piledrives Estrada but walks into a fisherman’s neckbreaker from Siaki. Ki kicks Styles by mistake though and Yang Time (twisting moonsault) is good for the pin on Styles at 6:27.

Rating: B-. And that’s how TNA starts. They weren’t kidding with the “total nonstop action” part as they had all six people going nuts out there and cramming in as much stuff as they could in about six and a half minutes. That isn’t much time to work with but Styles looked like a star and Lynn looked like the established veteran while Ki was the hard striker. Throw in a kind of awesome gimmick like the Flying Elvises and how can you go wrong?

The Flying Elvises talk about how amazing it is to be in the first match in company history. They wanted to be first and never felt like that before. Mike Tenay pops in for some comments…and I have no idea why he’s shot with a Dutch angle.

From Weekly PPV #2:

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

For the vacant title and it’s double elimination, meaning it’s a string of singles matches and you have to lose two falls to be eliminated, with the last man standing being the champion. That’s a unique idea and I could go for seeing it used again. Styles chops at Psicosis to start but gets faceplanted down for his efforts. A superkick gives Styles two but Psicosis knocks him down and hits the guillotine legdrop for two. Back up and a hurricanrana is countered into the Styles Clash to give Psicosis his first loss at 2:01.

Psicosis – 1 loss
Styles – 0 losses
Ki – 0 losses
Lynn – 0 losses

Low Ki comes in to kick away at Styles, including an enziguri. Another Styles Clash is broken up and they go to the corner, where Ki reverse superplexes him into a dragon sleeper. Styles makes the rope so Ki kicks him in the face, only to miss a Phoenix splash. A hard clothesline takes Ki down again and a belly to back faceplant gives Ki his first loss at 4:21 total.

Psicosis – 1 loss
Ki – 1 loss
Styles – 0 losses
Lynn – 0 losses

Lynn is in next and immediately hits the cradle piledriver to pin Styles at 4:41 total.

Psicosis – 1 loss
Ki – 1 loss
Styles – 1 loss
Lynn – 0 losses

Psicosis comes in to dropkick Lynn down but he’s back up with a middle rope bulldog for two. A headscissors sends Lynn outside and there’s the big flip dive to drop him again. Back in and a top rope spinwheel kick gives Psicosis two but he gets dropkicked out of the air. Another cradle piledriver pins Psicosis to officially eliminate him at 7:42 total.

Ki – 1 loss
Styles – 1 loss
Lynn – 0 losses
Psicosis – Eliminated

Ki is back in to kick Lynn down for two and a power drive elbow gets the same. A super hurricanrana connects but Lynn rolls through into a sunset flip for two of his own. There’s an enziguri to stagger Ki again and Lynn hits a jumping Fameasser from the apron. Ki tries a triangle choke but gets powerbombed down for a VERY near fall, with the fans not exactly seeming convinced by the kickout. Ki’s fisherman’s buster is countered into a DDT (nicely done) and the cradle piledriver gives Lynn the pin at 12:02 total.

Styles – 1 loss
Lynn – 0 losses
Psicosis – Eliminated
Ki – Eliminated

So it’s down to Styles vs. Lynn, with Styles needing to beat him twice in a row to win the title. Styles is right back in with a discus lariat and a spinwheel kick gets two. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Lynn two of his own but Styles blocks a sunset flip and hits a slingshot splash for two. Lynn’s tornado DDT gets two more and they’re both down for a breather. Back up and Styles’ neckbreaker gets two, followed by Lynn’s rather snappy Liger Bomb out of the corner getting the same. Styles is right back with a Styles Clash for the pin at 16:05 total.

Styles – 1 loss
Lynn – 1 loss
Psicosis – Eliminated
Ki – Eliminated

It’s one fall to a finish for the title and Ricky Steamboat comes in to referee. They trade pinfall reversal sequences to start until Lynn knocks him to the floor. There’s a whip into the barricade to drop Styles but he’s right back with a shot of his own. Back in and Lynn hits a reverse suplex to drape Styles over the top before reversing a hurricanrana into a flipping faceplant for two.

Back up and Styles hits the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two of his own but Lynn’s brainbuster gets two more. The sleeper goes on, with Styles jawbreaking his way to freedom. Styles goes up and gets superplexed back down for two and Lynn is getting frustrated. Lynn takes him up again but gets shoved down, setting up the Spiral Tap to give Styles the pin and the title at 25:59.

Rating: B. This was a really cool idea and something I could go for seeing again. The double elimination stipulation made it feel like the best person won and helped cover the idea of the last person entering having a huge advantage. Styles is someone who has already stood out and beating someone with the status of Lynn is only going to help move him along.

We jump past Lynn and Styles winning the Tag Team Titles and move into their first title defense. From Weekly PPV #4.

Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn vs. Disciples Of The New Church

The Disciples (Slash/Tempest, with James Mitchell) are challenging. Slash shoulders Lynn down to start but a powerslam is escaped. Lynn runs the corner for a bulldog and Styles comes in for a running flipping splash to the back. Tempest (better known as Crowbar) comes in and gets his arm cranked, followed by a kick to the face for a bonus. Back up and Tempest runs him over, only to be sent outside. That doesn’t last long as Tempest is back in to take over, including an anklescissors out of the corner.

Styles gets backdropped to the apron but comes back in with a springboard missile dropkick, allowing the tag back to Lynn. Everything breaks down and the Disciples pull a diving Styles out of the air. Lynn makes a quick save and Styles adds a Lionsault for two on Tempest. Back up and Tempest’s Death Valley Driver gets two on Styles so Slash can come back in for some rams into the buckle.

What would become James Storm’s Eye of the Storm sends Styles flying but he’s fine enough to catapult Slash into the corner. Lynn comes back in to start the comeback, including a sitout bulldog for two on Tempest. Another Death Valley Driver is broken up and Lynn hits the cradle piledriver, only for Slash to kick him in the face. Styles tags himself back in and (kind of) hits the Spiral Tap to retain at 10:37.

Rating: C+. This was a way to show that the champions who don’t quite get along can get along well enough to retain the titles, even if they were still having issues. It’s still probably the top story in the promotion at the moment, or at least the most interesting, though I’m not sure how much ground that is covering. The New Church is already looking like a bunch of losers and odds are that is going to continue without much to make it better.

From Weekly PPV #6.

Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn vs. Flying Elvises

The Elvises are challenging and Sonny Siaki is on commentary. Lynn and Estrada trade arm control to start until until Lynn elbows him in the face and grabs a running headscissors. Styles adds a running knee to the face and a legdrop gets two. An elbow to the jaw gives Styles two more but Estrada gets in a slam, allowing the rather necessary tag off to Yang.

Lynn comes back in to knock Yang into the corner, setting up a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. What looks like a top rope cutter from Styles…just kind of crashes down and Yang sends him outside for a heck of a clothesline. Back in and a Koji Clutch keeps Styles in trouble, setting up Estrada’s knee to the ribs for two. The banged up ribs are dropped over the top rope for two and a Lionsault connects for the same.

Another rather slow motion knee drop into a slingshot hilo gets two next two, followed by the logical abdominal stretch. Styles tries to fight back but Lynn gets knocked off the apron so the beating can continue. A kick to the face gets Styles out of trouble though and it’s back to Lynn to clean house. Lynn dives onto Estrada but Styles accidentally takes Lynn out with a dive of his own. Lynn is VERY busted open but he’s fine enough to come back with the slingshot Fameasser over the ropes. That’s enough to pin Estrada, even as Styles is on top for the Spiral Tap, and retain at 15:24.

Rating: B. Well hokey smoke, a wrestling match broke out on this show. It really shouldn’t be any surprise that Styles and Lynn work this well together as they’re incredibly talented but at the same time the Elvises are right there with him to make their side work. This was a rather good match and one of the better things the promotion has produced so far.

They Styles and Lynn kept arguing and fighting but then they started getting along a bit more.

We see some quick highlights of AJ Styles beating Elix Skipper and Lynn beating Low Ki via DQ.

From Weekly PPV #6 (and earlier in the night as we go back in time a bit).

Amazing Red vs. Low Ki

Red snaps off some armdrags to start and then kicks Ki outside. Back in and a middle rope clothesline drops Ki but he’s right back with a hard kick for two of his own. A butterfly suplex into a double underhook crank has Red in trouble but he fights right back out. Red goes up top, where Ki pulls him into a hanging dragon sleeper for some rather painful cranking.

They trade kicks to the head until Red’s hat flies off, which has him so annoyed that he hits a quick standing shooting star press for two. The Code Red gets two more but Ki strikes away, only to get dropped with a spinwheel kick. Red’s corkscrew moonsault misses though and the Ki Krusher 99 finishes for Ki at 7:29.

Rating: B. This is how you make someone into a bigger deal as Red was in there hanging with someone who almost won the X-Division Title last week. The perk of a promotion still being this new is that people can still make an impact in a hurry. That’s what Red did here and it was a heck of a match as the show kicks off fast.

From Weekly PPV #8.

Amazing Red/Spanish Announce Team vs. Flying Elvises

It’s a brawl to start until Siaki is left alone to clothesline Red. Jose Maximo (brother of Joel) gets triple powerbombed and the Elvises get to pose and dance. For some reason Yang and Estrada go to commentary, leaving Siaki to get triple teamed in the corner. Then they sing a little Elvis as a surfboard/dragon sleeper combination sets up a top rope double stomp for two on Siaki.

Back up and Siaki fights back but he doesn’t want a tag from Yang. Red kicks Siaki down on top and it’s a double super Spanish Fly for two. Yang and Estrada come back in and take out the Maximos but Estrada gets caught in Code Red for two more. Estrada counters a double super Spanish Fly into a double super DDT to the Maximos. A top rope legdrop/splash combination hits Red but the other Elvises pose, allowing Siaki to steal the pin at 11:46.

Rating: B-. Oh that’s a Russo trait if I’ve ever seen one. You have the team who doesn’t get along but wins anyway, making the other team look that much worse. If Red and the SAT’s can’t beat Siaki when they have him 3-1, why should I believe they can beat pretty much anyone? It’s a bad idea and something that Russo absolutely loved, which shouldn’t be all that surprising.

Mike Tenay and various wrestlers talk about the SAT’s and Amazing Red. This includes the SAT’s, but one of their microphones isn’t working because of course.

Now talk about the intensity and hard hittingness of Low Ki.

From Weekly PPV #8.

X-Division Title: Low Ki vs. AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn

Styles is defending and gets double teamed to start, including a faceplant. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Lynn two on Ki but Styles is back up with a powerslam. Ki is back up with a dropkick and elbows but Styles pulls the referee in and kicks Ki low (there’s a joke there somewhere). Ki and Lynn strike it out until Lynn sends him to the apron for a legdrop over the rope.

The dragon sleeper has Styles and Lynn in trouble but Lynn takes Ki down. A top rope hanging DDT gets two on Styles with Ki making the save. Ki butterfly suplexes Styles for two and Styles puts Ki down for the same with Lynn making the save. Styles and Ki go up top and it’s a super sunset bomb to turn it into a Tower Of Doom. Ki gets back to back dragon sleepers for back to back saves.

Styles brainbusters Lynn for two but Lynn is back with a Ki Crusher 99 for two on Ki. Back up and Ki accidentally takes out the referee (ERG) but gets launched out to the floor. Styles chairs Lynn down so Ki covers for two, only for Styles to hit the Styles Clash to break it up….but Ki falls back on Lynn for the three (as in the third count, with the break apparently not mattering, which isn’t how it works in wrestling) for the title at 16:18.

Rating: A-. Rough ending aside, this was great. They were all going nuts and doing their thing as fast as they could and it made for an awesome match. As usual, the X-Division stuff is stealing the show and that shouldn’t be a surprise given what else we’re seeing. Excellent match here as they were doing everything they could for all of the time they had.

Low Ki is happy about his win. I think. It’s hard to tell with him.

From Weekly PPV #9.

X-Division Title: Low Ki vs. Sonny Siaki vs. Jimmy Yang vs. Jorge Estrada

Ki is defending and this is elimination rules. Siaki and Ki start things off as we’re actually tagging here. Ki fights him into the corner early on but gets powerbombed out. Estrada comes in and grabs a Regal Roll but the Lionsault is countered. Some kicks rock Estrada for two, with Siaki having to break up a dragon sleeper.

The Elvises aren’t happy with each other so Yang comes in with a middle rope spinwheel kick. Yang chokes him over the ropes but Ki is quickly out of a sleeper. Estrada comes back in and takes out Yang, including a springboard flip dive on the floor. Back in and Yang hits a dropkick into a Boston crab, which he bends back really fast and Estrada taps immediately for the elimination at 6:41.

Ki comes in so Yang hits him with a missile dropkick for two. Yang Time is loaded up but Siaki crotches him down, setting up the Ki Crusher at 7:56 to get us down to one on one. Siaki comes in with a pop up cutter for two but Ki is back with a springboard kick to the face. Siaki manages a shot to the face, only to get sent into Yang as he’s still on the apron. Ki rolls him up to retain at 9:22.

Rating: B-. They only had so much time here as you had three eliminated to cover in the span of less than ten minutes. At the same time, the Elvises are having issues and that’s likely going to lead to something going south sooner or later. As for Ki, it’s a good move to have him beat all three members of the team to retain, as that’s going to make anyone look strong.

From Weekly PPV #10.

X-Division Title: Low Ki vs. Jose Maximo vs. Joel Maximo vs. Amazing Red

Ki is defending under elimination rules. All three challengers start hammering on Ki, who blasts them with kicks to the head. We settle down to Ki chopping Red but it’s too early for the Ki Crusher. Joel comes in for a tornado DDT to Ki and it’s quickly off to Jose. Ki is fine enough to kick both Maximos into the corner but Red comes in to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and an Alabama Slam/neckbreaker combination drops Ki.

Red’s top rope hurricanrana sends Joel into Jose and Ki tosses Red onto both Maximos. Ki’s big twisting dive off the top takes all three of them down again, giving them a quick breather on the floor. Back in and Ki is knocked outside again, leaving Joel to hit a lifting sitout Pedigree to pin Jose at 9:07.

Back in and Ki kicks away at Joel but Red knocks Joel down and hits a twisting top rope splash for the elimination at 10:10. So it’s Red vs. Ki for the title, with Ki countering Code Red into something like an Alabama Slam into the corner. A super Ki Crusher is countered but the second attempt plants Red hard to retain the title at 12:08.

Rating: B-. Good enough, but this was similar to last week’s match against the Flying Elvises as there was no reason to believe that two of the three were going to have a chance. That leaves you a long time before we get to the one on one match and then it only lasts about two minutes. The match itself was a bunch of spots and Ki striking, which is a good way to bring Ki up even higher.

And now, a best of three series between Styles and Lynn. From Weekly PPV #10.

AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn

Falls Count Anywhere and the first of a three match series tonight. It’s a brawl to start with Lynn taking him outside, where Styles manages a whip into the steps. Styles strikes away before getting crotched on the barricade to cut him off rather quickly. They fight into the crowd with Styles evening things up a bit, including a running flip dive off the balcony. Styles rams him into the barricade but gets suplexed back to ringside for two.

Back in and they trade flips until Lynn gets in a Stunner. A powerbomb is countered into a faceplant for two, with Lynn getting his foot on the ropes. I’m not sure why that breaks the count in a falls count ANYWHERE match but we’ll move on. A neckbreaker gives Styles two but Lynn is back up with a hurricanrana to the floor. They slug it out on the stage where Lynn drops him with a discus lariat. Something like a bulldog off the stage gets two and it’s back to the stage where Lynn hits a cradle piledriver for the pin at 9:56.

Rating: B-. These two work well together and it makes sense for the two of them to be put together this many times on one show. At the same time, they didn’t stay out there too long to burn the fans out. If nothing else, having Styles getting a rub from Lynn, who is as smooth of an in-ring veteran as TNA has, is a great idea.

Jerry Lynn is ready to finish AJ Styles for good but here is Styles to jump him from behind. Since the second match is No DQ, we’ll just start it in the back.

Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles

No DQ and Lynn is up 1-0. They strike it out and go inside with Lynn hitting a Stunner over the ropes. A table is set up but Styles cuts him off, with the table being turned over. Styles’ springboard dive hits the upside down table (ouch) but he’s right back up with a legdrop onto a chair onto Lynn. A catapult sends Styles face first into the chair in the corner though and Lynn hits the slingshot Fameasser in the ropes.

Lynn’s tornado DDT to the table on the floor is broken up and a double clothesline leaves both of them down. Lynn tries a sunset flip but Styles grabs the chair and cracks him in the head for the save (that was nice). Back up and Lynn hits a top rope hanging DDT onto a chair…and pulls Styles up at two (uh oh). Styles knocks him off the top but gets crotched, setting up a super hurricanrana through the ringside table (with Styles landing head first for a scary crash). Back in and Styles is fine enough to reverse another tornado DDT attempt into the Styles Clash onto the chair for the pin at 10:37.

Rating: C+. Another good enough match between the two of them and again they didn’t overstay their welcome. That’s something you need to do if you’re going to see them fighting over and over, especially if Styles was all but guaranteed to win and tie the series up. It was a bit too similar to their first match, though nothing bad whatsoever.

With the series tied, we’re having a ten minute Iron Man match for the final fall and it starts right now.

Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles

Ten minute Iron Man match and the winner gets an X-Division Title shot (ignore the clock on screen starting before the bell). Styles gets smart and pins the down Lynn at 11 seconds.

Styles – 1
Lynn – 0

Styles pins him again at 19 seconds.

Styles – 2
Lynn – 0

Lynn kicks out of a third cover and reverses a suplex into a neckbreaker for two. Styles grabs a sleeper to slow him down as we’re already two minutes in. Lynn fights up so Styles pulls him down by the hair and puts on the chinlock. Back up and Styles’ hurricanrana is countered into a faceplant to give Lynn a fall at 3:49.

Styles – 2
Lynn – 1

Lynn follows Styles’ plan by covering for an immediate two but Styles scores with a backdrop. We have five minutes left as Lynn comes back with the springboard Fameasser for two. Lynn goes up but gets caught in a Razor’s Edge Dominator (that was cool) and a delayed cover gives Styles another fall at 6:32 (even if the referee was a bit confused).

Styles – 3
Lynn – 1

Styles hammers away as Low Ki comes to watch, complete with a ladder. We have two minutes left as Lynn hits a tombstone for the pin at 8:13.

Styles – 3
Lynn – 2

Lynn can’t hit the cradle piledriver but can hit a Styles Clash to tie it up at 8:58.

Styles – 3
Lynn – 3

They trade very fast rollups but neither can get the pin as time expires at 10:00.

Rating: B-. This one saw the two of them getting the chance to show off their athleticism a bit more and Styles getting two falls at the start was very smart. I’m not wild on seeing the whole thing end in a draw, but otherwise, how else would we get to a triple threat title match? It didn’t get too insane, but Ki coming out with the ladder more or less guaranteed where this was going.

Post match Ki comes in and raises both of their arms, only to kick them down. Ki says the division is about the champion so next week it’s time to prove that he is the greatest in a ladder match.

Various wrestlers are impressed by AJ Styles.

Styles is glad to be the best and you’ll see even more.

Mike Tenay thinks the X-Division is awesome.

From Weekly PPV #11.

X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Low Ki

Ki is defending in a ladder match. Ki and Lynn chop it out to start with Styles quickly taking Lynn’s place. Lynn is back up but misses his slingshot Fameasser, allowing Ki to springboard kick Styles down. Back in and Lynn takes over on both of them, including a fairly illogical surfboard to Ki. A suplex drops Styles and you can see Lynn have to stop himself from covering.

Ki breaks up a Liontamer to Styles (Why?) and drops both of them in a hurry. Styles knocks Ki into the corner and they’re all down for an early breather. It’s Styles up first and he heads to the floor, where a ladder is bridged between the barricade and the apron. Ki and Styles climb onto said ladder but Lynn is right there for a double faceplant.

Lynn baseball slides a ladder into Styles’ ribs but Ki cuts off his climb. Styles unloads on Ki until he gets dropped by Lynn. A double hiptoss sends Ki into a ladder leaning against the rope, followed by a suplex sending Lynn into the same ladder. Ki is back up with a hurricanrana to send Styles into the ladder and they need a breather. Styles loads up the ladder and tries a climb but Ki pulls him down for some kicks to the chest.

Ki pulls Styles off the ladder again and then sends the ladder over, with Lynn crashing down in a heap. Back up and Lynn hammers on Styles, followed by a sitout powerbomb on Ki. Two more ladders are brought in and Styles climbs after Ki, who puts him in a dragon sleeper. Lynn breaks that up (Why?) and shoves Styles down, followed by a cradle piledriver off the ladder to plant Ki. That’s enough for Lynn to pull the title down for the win at 20:05.

Rating: B+. This was more of a match where they went after each other rather than the ladder and that makes things so much more interesting. Sometimes it’s nice to see them mix it up a bit and in this case, it was great to focus on people this talented. Lynn gets the title and can defend it against a bunch of people, including these two, and I can certainly go for more of that at the moment.

Wrestlers and Tenay praise Jerry Lynn.

Lynn talks about being interested in the X-Division because it suits his style. Cue Styles, who offers respect to Lynn. Cue Ki, who is still coming for the title. Lynn is looking forward to it.

Overall Rating: B. While this wasn’t so much a look back at the X-Division as much as it was a look at the three way feud with some side players, it does at least focus on by far the best thing in TNA to date. You’re only going to get so far on everything else the promotion has to offer, but these guys have been doing great in the few months the promotion has been around. That’s what this should have been and it wound up working fairly well, assuming you don’t mind almost everyone else being completely ignored.

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NWA TNA Weekly PPV #11 (2025 Edition): They’ve Still Got It?

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #11
Date: August 28, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West

Things took a big turn last week and it actually gives me some hope for the company. The problem right now is that the promotion is having financial issues so a lot of things, including people, have been cut down. That made for a far more interesting and entertaining match last week so maybe things can be a bit better. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Earlier today, Brian Lawler was asked what Jeff Jarrett did to him. Again though, before he can answer, Jarrett runs in and beats him down.

Kid Kash vs. Amazing Red

They fight over wrist and arm control to start with neither getting very far. Kash sticks the landing on a monkey flip so they trade legsweeps and we get a staredown. Red’s headlock doesn’t last long so they trade armdrags and it’s another standoff. Kash flips him off and gets sent to the apron for some elbows to send him outside. Back up and Kash gets in a shot of his own, setting up a springboard clothesline for two.

Red charges into an elbow in the corner and a middle rope clothesline gets two more. Kash hammers away but Red is back up with a middle rope Downward Spiral for a near fall of his own. They go up top and Kash throws him down for two, followed by a slingshot legdrop in the ropes for the same. Kash runs the rope and hits a springboard spinning high crossbody, followed by something like a kneeling MuscleBuster for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: B-. This is something that the X-Division needs, as you can only have Styles/Ki/Lynn as the focal points for so long. At some point you need some fresh blood in there and these two could certainly fit the bill. They had an exciting enough match and that’s good to see, especially as a way to open the show.

Post match Red offers him a handshake but Kash hits a clothesline instead. The SAT’s run in for the save.

Sonny Siaki, on his own, has to be asked to turn around and face the camera and isn’t worried about facing Monty Brown. Sure Brown was in the Super Bowl, but Siaki is bigger than the Super Bowl.

Sonny Siaki vs. Monty Brown

Before the match, Brown grabs the mic and promises to take out Jeff Jarrett for costing him the World Title last week. Siaki backs him into the corner to start and fires off some shoulders to the ribs. That earns him a trip to the floor but Brown misses a charge into the barricade. Back in and Brown gives him a side slam before stomping away for two. A running splash in the corner hits Siaki and a butterfly suplex into a vertical suplex gets two more.

We hit the chinlock on Siaki but he fights up, only to get clotheslined right back down. A running DDT drops Brown though and we get a double breather. Siaki’s clothesline gets two but Brown drops him again. An overhead belly to belly sends Siaki flying and a powerbomb swung into a Rock Bottom plants him again. Cue Jeff Jarrett though, with the distraction allowing Siaki to hit Brown low for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: C. Brown is in a weird place as he’s a monster with charisma, but he’s nowhere near ready for this level in the ring. The problem with that is if you keep beating him, he loses the status that he has. It would be nice to let him smash through some people to rack up some wins and then bring him along, but why do that when you can just have him lose?

Post match Brown hammers on Jarrett and here is Brian Lawler to go after Jarrett as well. Security breaks it up and Lawler is cut off again. Darn the luck.

Commentary hypes up the X-Division ladder match.

Slash, with new partner Kobain (better known as Flash Flanagan in OVW), is ready to win a spot in a Gauntlet For The Gold for the Tag Team Titles. Kobain says what is likely supposed to sound like Nirvana lyrics.

Backseat Boyz vs. James Storm/Chris Harris vs. Hot Shots vs. Disciples Of The New Church

Elimination rules and the winners are in the Gauntlet For The Gold for the vacant Tag Team Titles. Chase Stevens (partners in the Hot Shots with Cassidy O’Reilly) starts with Trent Acid (of the Backseat Boyz, along with Johnny Kashmere) with Acid flipping over him. Stevens hands it off to Kashmere, with the Boyz having to fight because they can’t be eliminated.

Then they point at each and clean house, including the Dream Sequence (later made famous by the Motor City Machine Guns) to Stevens. Some moonsaults to the floor drop most everyone else and Stevens shooting stars onto everyone else. Back in and Slash tags herself in for a neckbreaker to get rid of Kashmere at 4:13.

Kobain comes in for something like a Demolition Decapitator to Stevens. O’Reilly comes back in and kicks Harris down, setting up a double basement dropkick for two. Harris fights up and hits a heck of a clothesline on Cassidy, with Kobain coming in. That doesn’t last long as Storm tags himself in and hits a reverse tornado DDT to get rid of the Hot Shots at 7:55.

Slash chokes away at Storm in the corner, followed by what would become Storm’s Eye Of The Storm. Kobain comes in and sends Storm outside for the big dive and Slash adds a running knee back inside. Cue Don Harris and Brian Lee for commentary as Harris comes back in to clean house, with Kobain accidentally elbowing Slash. Storm superkicks both of them as everything breaks down, only for Slash to come back with a cutter out of the corner. Another neckbreaker is countered and a slam swung into a Rock Bottom finishes for Harris at 12:54.

Rating: C. This was one of those matches where they didn’t quite have time to build anything up and it hut things. At the same time, you have some teams who aren’t overly familiar around here, with the Kobain deal feeling more stupid than anything else. The good thing is Harris and Storm are being built up as the best team around here and it would not surprise me at all to see them get the titles.

Post match Harris and Lee run in for the beatdown with the other teams all running in as well. Harris and Lee clear the ring, because of course they do.

Jeff Jarrett runs into Bob Armstrong, who tells Jarrett he’ll get what he deserves. Jarrett says he deserves all the titles and promises to deal with Armstrong’s surprise.

Miss TNA: Bruce vs. April Hunter

We get a bunch of BEEPs, which are likely due to crowd chants. Hunter fires off chops and snaps off a headscissors but Bruce pulls her down by the hair. A slam and delayed vertical suplex give Bruce two and he sends Hunter face first into the buckle a few times. Bruce flips out of a belly to back suplex and pulls her down by the hair, setting up a powerbomb for the pin at 3:01.

Rating: D. What even is the point of this anymore? In theory they’re setting someone up to beat Bruce in a big moment, but is it even going to matter when it happens? There comes a point where it’s been run into the ground and it isn’t like it had far to go in the first place. Another bad match here, even with Hunter being better than some of the people who have been in there.

Post match Bruce goes to take off Hunter’s top but Slyck Wagner Brown (Hunter’s boyfriend) makes the save.

The Flying Elvises aren’t all shook up without Sonny Siaki but he better not come back because he’s lonesome tonight. Siaki comes in to say he’s fine without them.

Spanish Announce Team vs. Flying Elvises

Jose wrestles Estrada down to start and they trade some not very near falls. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Elvises clear the ring, setting up stereo Asai moonsaults. Back in and Estrada plants Joel for two before handing it off to Yang for a dropkick into the corner. Estrada’s slingshot legdrop gets two more but he misses a charge, allowing the tag back to Jose.

Estrada crotches him on top and grabs a neckbreaker for two, followed by a suplex into a neckbreaker. Yang grabs a front facelock as commentary previews upcoming shows, including next week’s Best Of The X-Division (which may or may not have been a way to avoid having to pay for another show). That doesn’t last long and Estrada comes in to miss another charge, allowing Joel to come in as well.

Everything breaks down and Estrada hits a DDT into a springboard corkscrew hilo. Jose grabs a dragon suplex and Joel adds a missile dropkick but Yang is back with a running spinwheel kick in the corner. Cue Sonny Siaki to shove the SAT’s off the top though, allowing Yang to….miss Yang Time. Instead he hits a quick superplex for the pin on Jose at 14:23.

Rating: B-. Much like the opener, this felt like a way to help establish some more names in the division. In this case, we’ve seen both of them before but it was fun to have them out there going crazy for a bit. It’s not like this is some great match, but I had a good time with it while it lasted. If nothing else, either of these teams could come after the Tag Team Titles when they’re brought back.

Here is Goldilocks to introduce Brian Lawler for the big Jeff Jarrett explanation. First though, Lawler calls her a piece of trash who shows too much skin and wants her out. With Goldilocks gone, Lawler calls out Jarrett to meet him face to face. Before he can talk though, cue Ron Killings, who is made at Lawler for hitting him with a chair last week.

Lawler begs forgiveness and Killings leaves, with Lawler saying this is personal with Jarrett. Then Lawler spots his girlfriend in the audience and accuses a photographer of hitting on her. Lawler escorts said girlfriend to the back as we’re STILL not getting an explanation. I can’t imagine it’s anywhere near that interesting and that is getting more and more obvious every time they tease this story.

We recap Jeff Jarrett being attacked by the Bullet last week, who was NOT Brad Armstrong.

Jeff Jarrett vs. The Bullet

Jarrett jumps him fast and sends things outside, with Bullet being whipped over the barricade. The beatdown is on with Jarrett blasting him with some chair shots. They go back inside where Bullet fights back and starts using quite a few familiar moves (as in similar to Brian Armstrong, Bob’s son and better known as the Road Dogg). Jarrett whips out some handcuffs and attaches Bullet to the ropes. It’s time for a chair so Bob Armstrong comes out, earning himself a chair to the head. The match is thrown out at 3:45.

Rating: C-. And yet, it’s somehow more interesting than anything involving Brian Lawler. That brings up the problem though: Jarrett is involved in quite a bit on this show and it’s not the most interesting stuff. At some point you need to give him something that gets people to care and we haven’t seen it yet. Brian Lawler and the Armstrongs isn’t the way to make that happen either.

Post match Bob gets destroyed and busted open with another chair shot. Security cuts Jarrett off and no unmasking ensues.

Don West hypes up the main event.

We recap Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles going to a draw in their three match series last week. This set up a three way ladder match, with Low Ki defending the X-Division Title.

X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Low Ki

And we’re off the air before Tenay can even finish his sentence.

Overall Rating: B-. Again, these shows are SO MUCH BETTER because they don’t have all of the frills and stupid stuff bringing it down. Instead, they’re focusing on the in-ring action and it’s that much better as a result. There are still problems though, including WAY too much Jarrett and anything on Bruce. Other than that though, it’s a mile ahead of everything they were doing in the first ten weeks or so and I’ll definitely take that.

Results
Kid Kash b. Amazing Red – Kneeling neckbreaker
Sonny Siaki b. Monty Brown – Rollup
James Storm/Chris Harris b. Backseat Boyz, Hot Shots and Disciples Of The New Church last eliminating the Disciples Of The New Church
Bruce b. April Hunter – Powerbomb
Flying Elvises b. Spanish Announce Team – Superplex to Jose
Jeff Jarrett vs. The Bullet went to a no contest
Jerry Lynn b. AJ Styles and Low Ki – Lynn pulled down the title

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #9 (2025 Edition): Good Grief Just Wrestle

NWA Weekly PPV #9
Date: August 14, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West, Ed Ferrara

I really need to do these more often. Things have been a total mess around here, which is kind of the trademark of the promotion in its early run. Ron Killings has won the World Title and Don Harris is at war with the New Church because…I have absolutely no idea. Jeff Jarrett is still the star of the whole place while the X-Division guys continue to steal the show week in and week out. Let’s get to it.

Opening recap, looking at last week’s World Title change.

Opening sequence.

Here is new World Champion Ron Killings for a chat. Killings says this is his house, which he dubs the TNA Asylum. He has had to work harder because of the color of his skin. A senior WWF official told him that he couldn’t make the same mistakes as a white man. That’s too far, so from this day forward, he is a legend. Now he’s the World Champion, but here is Jeff Jarrett (teaming with Killings tonight) to say he can’t believe some of this nonsense.

Jarrett claims reverse racism because he has never gotten the same shot. Killings says come get your shot but cue Bill Behrens (with a ridiculous cowboy hat) and security to cut it off. Behrens makes a bunch of sheriff jokes and says Jarrett and Killings fan fight…but it won’t be sanctioned for the World Title. Cue Brian Lawler to go after Jarrett until security breaks it up. Lawler shouts about knowing it was Jarrett. Well of course it was. It’s always Jarrett.

Kid Kash/Shark Boy/Slim J vs. Amazing Red/Spanish Announce Team

Kash and Joel start fast and trade wrist control before exchanging armdrags for a standoff in a quick sequence. Kash flips him off and hits a running shoulder before backdropping him out to the floor. A slingshot hurricanrana takes Joel down again and we hit the parade of dives. J, Red and Kash all one up each other with flip dives and we settle down to Kash suplexing J onto Joel. Back up and everything breaks down, with the SAT’s tying up Boy and J in a Liontamer/camel clutch at the same time.

Red adds a springboard missile dropkick but gets kicked in the face by J. Kash comes back in to drop an elbow on Red and then hits a kind of super powerslam. It’s back to J, who misses a twisting top rope splash. Everything breaks down (shocking I know) and Kash runs the corner for a super hurricanrana. Boy’s Diamond Dust gets two on Red with Jose making the save. The Money Maker (Jay Driller) plants Red with Joel’s top rope legdrop breaking it up. The double super Spanish Fly hits J and Red’s very twisty splash finishes him off at 10:39.

Rating: B. This falls right into the classic formula of “take a bunch of people and let them fly all over the place to pop the crowd”. That’s all this was supposed to be and it was entertaining stuff. Red’s stuff continues to be insane and that was the case here, with Kash’s great looking hurricanranas not being too far behind.

The Dupps have an idea for their own version of Cribs, which is about their house…which is an outhouse. My goodness this is so dumb.

Here is Bruce to say he is more woman than anyone in this arena. All of the married men in this arena, including Mike Tenay, are fantasizing about him. The challenge is on, and he’ll throw in $5000 to any woman who can beat him. A woman from the crowd signs a quick contract and we’re ready to go.

Miss TNA: Bruce vs. ???

Bruce is defending and gets speared down to start, followed by a legdrop. A toss over the top sets up a slam on the floor, followed by another back inside. Then Bruce grabs a small package for the fast pin at 1:50. The woman shrugs it off with an “oh well”, because that’s what you should do here.

Jeff Jarrett wants the World Title and beats up Bill Behrens in the backroom. Then he runs into Low Ki for a staredown, followed by Tito and Bo Dupp bumping into each other. Thankfully for us, this means a match.

Don Harris vs. Malice

Last Man Standing and this is missing from WatchTNA because…well I’m guessing the SS on Harris’ shirt. Malice jumps him to start and gets taken down for his efforts. Harris chairs him in the head but Malice throws powder in Harris’ eyes. More powder blinds Harris again and Malice gets in a chair shot as Harris is busted open. Malice whips him into the barricade a few times and they go up to the stage, with Harris being tossed out to the floor.

That’s a bit too much selling for Harris though, as he comes back with a chain for some choking and a clothesline. It’s time for a table and Harris kicks a chair into Malice’s face. Malice gets in a powerbomb but pulls Harris up for a chokeslam. That’s countered into a DDT but Malice is back up with a belly to back superplex through the table. Naturally only Harris gets up for the win at 7:08.

Rating: D. If you have a Last Man Standing match, maybe A, have it go longer than ten minutes and B, don’t have the SECURITY GUARD beat the former #1 contender to the World Title. The fact that Malice hit the finishing move here and then lost anyway should tell you everything wrong with this match, but there was so much else wrong with the thing that it’s not even covering the biggest issue. Horrible stuff here as Don Harris continues to be far too big of a star.

Post match respect is shown, and if you have the respect of DON HARRIS, you’re going places.

Dupp Cup: Teo vs. Bo Dupp

The first to ten points wins and if you think I’m keeping score, I have no idea what to tell you. Teo starts fast and sends him into a chair, followed by ripping off the pants and hitting him with a stick horse. It doesn’t count for points though because Bo likes it and yes, someone was paid to come up with this nonsense.

Stan Dupp offers a distraction and Bo gets in a big boot as Don West is actually trying to keep track of the points (doing commentary with a solo mic at ringside, reportedly because Mike Tenay didn’t want to be part of this). Stan goes to the ticket window where the woman in charge beats on him with a broom. Bo takes Teo to the outhouse but Puppet is inside with a kendo stick. That’s enough for Bo to be send face first into the hole to give Teo the win at 4:25.

Rating: F-. I…what do you want me to say here? This was every bit as stupid as you could have imagined and then it just kept getting worse. I’m sure the people backstage were roaring with laughter over it, but if your commentator, and one of the most prominent, well respected people you have, is washing your hands so you can do an outhouse joke, it’s way past time to think about what you’re doing.

We recap Monty Brown vs. Elix Skipper, with Skipper turning on him (after they won a match) and Brown wanting revenge.

Monty Brown vs. Elix Skipper

Detroit Street Fight. Before the match, Skipper calls out Brown for the fight and then gets jumped from behind because Skipper is kind of dumb. Brown hammers away to start and chokes him over the ropes with a shirt. Skipper gets in a chain shot to the ribs and chokes away, which is shrugged off without much effort.

Back in and some trashcan/lid shots slow Brown down, with Skipper adding in a Matrix to send Brown crashing. A slingshot dive onto the can onto Brown gets two on the floor but Brown is back up with the Alphalution (kind of a reverse F5). The Alpha Bomb onto a trashcan (onto a stop sign because reasons) finishes Skipper at 5:45.

Rating: C. I can go with pushing Brown as a star as he has more charisma than should be allowed, but this was another violent gimmick match crammed into way too short of a time limit. As is the case so often around here, this stuff needs time to breathe and that isn’t what we’re getting with just about anything. Brown is going to be a force though, as even TNA shouldn’t be able to screw him up.

The Flying Elvises are all ready to challenge for the X-Division Title. They’re fired up because it’s 25 years since Elvis died and Sonny Siaki is going to win the title in his honor. As in his own honor, because he hates Elvis. Hence being in a stable called the FLYING ELVISES. Other than that, I’m trying to figure out why Goldilocks is in her third different outfit in an hour.

X-Division Title: Low Ki vs. Sonny Siaki vs. Jimmy Yang vs. Jorge Estrada

Earlier today, Goldilocks (outfit #4) got in a car with Jerry Lynn, who made a short drive to another building and beat up AJ Styles, knocking him into a bathtub and demanding respect.

Disco Inferno is back with Jive Talking and brings out actor Dean Baldwin (read as Shark Boy without a mask) to talk about his upcoming movie. This leads Disco to asking about Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s bedroom habits. Cue Brian Lawler who rants about Jeff Jarrett doing…something. Baldwin: “Who are you? What are your credentials?” Lawler takes Baldwin out and we still don’t know what Jarrett did. Security throws Lawler out.

Goldilocks (outfit #5) watches the Dupps freak out. Stan is leaving and Goldilocks isn’t sure what Bo should do. Bo: “Thank you for caring.”

Tag Team Titles: Jeff Jarrett/Ron Killings vs. AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn

Styles and Lynn are defending but Styles isn’t here to start. That means Lynn gets beaten down but here is Styles to even things up. House is cleaned and Styles hits Jarrett with the drop down dropkick for an early two. A Lionsault to the floor connects for Styles but he gets dropped onto the barricade. That leaves Lynn to monkey flip Killings inside and a middle rope bulldog gets two.

We settle down to Jarrett stomping away on Lynn and Killings comes in for a wheelbarrow faceplant. The ax kick gets two on Lynn, who is right back with the Figure Four to Jarrett, who turns it over in literally less than two seconds. Since this is TNA, commentary insults Lynn for being dumb for trying a Figure Four on Jeff Jarrett.

Killings puts Lynn on top but gets taken down with a tornado DDT for a needed breather. That’s enough for the tag off to Styles so house can be cleaned. Everything breaks down and Styles flips over Jarrett but the referee gets decked. Lynn’s reverse DDT drops Jarrett and Cradle Piledrives Killings but Jarrett is up for the save. Jarrett gives Lynn the Stroke and Styles his the Spiral Tap on Killings for a double pin at 12:24.

Rating: C+. Oh there it is. That’s the big ending that Russo loves as not only do we have the two teams who don’t get along, but now they have a screwy finish to hold up the titles. Odds are we’ll either get a rematch, a ladder match or a tournament of some kind because it gets the titles off of Lynn and Styles without having them lose. It’s not a bad match, but dang it feels like a lame way to end the title reign.

Post match Bob Armstrong comes out to say the titles are held up. Next week, it’s Killings for Monty Brown for the World Title and Lynn vs. Styles for a future X-Division Title shot match. Lynn wants falls count anywhere. Styles wants anything goes. Armstrong says sure, and it’s going to be 2/3 falls, with the third fall being a ten minute iron man match. As for Jarrett, he gets a special opponent next week.

Don West does the big push for next week’s show.

Brian Lawler attacks Jeff Jarrett in the back and shouts about wanting to kill him. Geez what did he do? Make him watch Jeff Jarrett matches?

Overall Rating: D. As usual, the matches where it’s played a lot straighter are far easier to watch. Case in point, we had something as simple as a six man tag as the opener and it was by far the best thing on the show. After that, it was man vs. woman, a Last Man Standing match, the Dupp Cup nonsense, a street fight and then a four way before a screwy tag match to wrap up the show. That’s WAY too much going on at once (including ANYTHING involving the Dupps) and some of it is absolutely horrible. There are fun parts to the show but as usual, they’re all so bogged down and it’s killing the positives. As per Russo.

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #8 (2025 Edition): The Stupidest Thing I Have Ever Seen In Wrestling

NWA TNA Weekly PPV #8
Date: August 7, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara, Don West

I keep thinking that these shows might get a bit better and that seems to be my problem. Most of the time, wrestling companies start to figure things out and the booking gets better, but this is Vince Russo’s TNA and things don’t get better around here. The big story this week is Ron Killings getting a World Title shot against Ken Shamrock so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Apollo and the Dupps are outside Ricky Steamboat’s office.

Amazing Red/Spanish Announce Team vs. Flying Elvises

We run down tonight’s card.

Apollo is mad at being left out of the World Title picture because it’s a show of disrespect. Why is Ron Killings getting the shot over him? Apollo accuses Ricky Steamboat of being corrupt (Mike Tenay is STUNNED) and promises to do something about it.

AJ Styles leaves Steamboat’s office and Apollo confronts Steamboat, who will talk to him on his own time. With that done, Jerry Lynn jumps Styles and a big fight breaks out before their match tonight.

Steamboat comes to the ring but the Dupps interrupt him. Steamboat isn’t having this and sends them to the back, telling them to do whatever they wanted. Oh that does not sound smart Dragon.

NWA World Title: Ron Killings vs. Ken Shamrock

Shamrock is defending and Steamboat is on commentary. Shamrock goes for the leg and Killings goes straight to the rope. A kick to the chest takes Killings down again as Steamboat talks about “them” holding him away from the WWF Title in 1987. Killings takes him down into a chinlock but gets pulled into a quickly broken kneebar. Back up and they collide for a double knockdown before Shamrock grabs a slow motion hurricanrana.

The ankle lock is broken up again as the Disciples Of The New Church are watching from the stage. Monty Brown comes out to watch as well as Shamrock hammers away and grabs a cross armbreaker (with Killings just laying there). They fight to the floor and (deep breath), Apollo, the Disciples Of The New Church, Don Harris, Monty Brown and Ricky Steamboat get into it with them. Apollo superkicks Shamrock by mistake and Steamboat throws him inside, where Killings hits a cutter for the pin and the title at 9:20.

Rating: D+. The match was a mess (believe it or not with that many people interfering) but it’s also the right move. Killings has at least been featured somewhat regularly while Shamrock has been this guy kind of off to the side who happened to be World Champion. Shifting the title to someone who is a lot more active and important is a good thing, even if it was as messy of a way to get the title off of him as possible. It didn’t help that the match was bad too, with the two of them having completely different styles which did not click whatsoever.

Post match Steamboat gets in the ring to call out Apollo, because THE WORLD TITLE CHANGING HANDS (and Killings becoming the first Black man to win the title) isn’t important enough to warrant a few moments to breathe. Steamboat grants Apollo a title shot, but, say it with me, Jeff Jarrett comes out to complain. Jarrett says he’s not getting the title shot because he’s white, because a Black man is champion and a Puerto Rican is getting the title shot (oh dear). Steamboat is tired of this (preach it) and makes a #1 contenders match with himself as guest referee for tonight.

And now, Jive Talkin with Disco Inferno but someone has stolen his set. Cue the Dupps to announce the Dupp Cup Invitational, which is for a family cup that they have used for moonshine over the years. This is the new hardcore division and they’re doing it because Ricky Steamboat said do whatever they want. They bring out a chalkboard with rules on it, saying you have to score ten points to win the match (this is going to be really, really stupid). We even have scoring options (and yes, they go over EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM):

Put an opponent through a table: 2.5 points
Put an opponent through a burning “tabel” (that’s how it’s spelled: 5 points
Put an opponent’s head in a toilet: 2.5 points
Put an opponent’s head in a toilet with waste in it: 3.5 points
Goose a woman: 2.5 points
Goose a man: 3.5 points
Hit Jeremy Borash: 2.5 points
Hit the ticket lady: 2.5 points
Use a farm animal of any kind in any way: 2.5 points

Note that at this point we cut to a fan with her hand over her mouth and a horrified look on her face. This is about as appropriate as anything you will ever see in wrestling.

Spank an opponent’s bare a** with “Horsey Poo” (a stick horse): 2.5 points
If the opponent likes it: -2.5 points
Introduce an opponent to Jai: 2.5 points (no, they do not specify who or what Jai is)
Cry like a pu**y: – 5 points
Put your opponent’s head in a cotton candy machine for one full rotation: 10 points, automatic win

In case that’s not enough, Disco starts suggesting his own scoring idea, such as using a weapon from a fan for 5 points, but the Dupps say that’s just 1. We’re going to even have the first match, with Bo Dupp defending the honor of his “girlfriend” Goldilocks. They offer 64 cents but then add in a night with Fluff Dupp…which is enough for Ed Ferrara to accept. He even gets a 2 point head start by decking Jeremy Borash. Then he jumps West and gets in a fight with Borash, which somehow makes it 6-0 as I guess this is a match.

Dupp Cup: Bo Dupp vs. Ed Ferrara

First to ten points wins and Ferrara is up 6-0. The Dupps chair him down a few times to make it 6-2 and more weapon shots make it 6-5 in a hurry. A blowup doll is brought in as this somehow gets dumber. Stan goes after the ticket lady, who comes out of her office with a broom to beat him up.

Paulina From Tough Enough (yes that is her official name) uses the chalk board to beat up Stan as Ferrara spears Bo at ringside. Somehow it’s 8 to 6.5 so Ferrara uses Horsey Poo…which Bo likes so it’s tied (I think, as this is somehow even dumber and messier than it sounds). The table is brought in but Bo chokeslams Ferrara through it to win at 6:45.

Rating: N/A. This wasn’t wrestling.

By the way: this whole thing, from the start of Disco’s segment to moving on to the next thing was over seventeen minutes. That’s longer than the main events of multiple Wrestlemanias. On this mess. The next time you’re at some low level, badly paying job, just remember that someone was paid to come up with this. See how much worse that makes you feel. Absolutely horrible and one of the dumbest things I have ever sat through in wrestling.

Earlier today, Mike Tenay sat down with Monty Brown. We hear about his career in football as part of the Buffalo Bills and now he’s wrestling. He had to fight to get a contract as an undrafted free agent so he knows about the politics that he’ll have to face in wrestling. As for Ron Killings, he’s tired of hearing about about “them” holding him back. Cue Elix Skipper with a bunch of yellow paint to cover Brown.

Don Harris vs. Malice

First Blood. They brawl around ringside to start as James Mitchell is on commentary. The fight goes into the crowd as we hear about the weird symbolism of the blood from last week. It’s BLOOD. This doesn’t require an explanation. Harris hits him with a chair and they walk around the building with Malice taking over.

They go to the ramp where Harris reverses a powerbomb into a backdrop but here is Slash to jump him as well. Harris takes a spike from Slash and busts him open but Malice jumps him again. Mitchell gets the ceremonial blood poured on him, followed by Harris hitting a Boss Man Slam. Somehow this busts Harris open (yep) and Malice wins at 6:28.

Rating: D. Somehow, this was miles better than the previous match and it was a terrible brawl. The first blood thing is something that fits into what they did last week, but Malice won while Harris, as in one of the HARRIS TWINS, was beating him up. You can’t have one of the Harris Twins take a pinfall against the person who was supposed to be the big monster? It’s no wonder this promotion is such a mess if that’s their mentality out here.

Post match the Disciples beat him up and leave him laying.

Sonny Siaki is looking for Ricky Steamboat. Taylor Vaughn comes in to jump Bruce (who is here too) and challenges him for tonight. Bruce is in, for an evening gown match. Then AJ Styles and Low Ki start brawling.

Apollo vs. Jeff Jarrett

#1 contenders match with Ricky Steamboat as guest referee. Apollo hammers away to start but Steamboat cuts him off, allowing Jarrett to get in a shot of his own. The fight heads outside but Apollo grabs a sitout powerbomb for two back inside. They go back outside where Apollo (already bleeding) is dropped onto the announcers’ table but Steamboat cuts off a chair shot.

Back in and Jarrett knocks him down for two before tying him in the Tree of Woe. Steamboat breaks that up so Jarrett goes with the Figure Four instead. Apollo is up at two arm drops and the comeback is on, including a DDT for a double down. The right hands in the corner have Jarrett in more trouble and the superkick connects but Jarrett gets a foot on the rope. Apollo grabs a German suplex but Jarrett gets his shoulder up for the (delayed) three count at 10:05.

Rating: C+. Yeah Jarrett won, but my goodness it was nice to see a match actually go clean around here. It wasn’t a great match or even a particularly good one, but what matters is that it was actually wrestling. After everything else tonight, I’ll absolutely take this, even if it was just ok for the most part.

Post match Apollo yells at Steamboat, who says he has no problem with Apollo but Jarrett won. With Apollo gone, Steamboat says Jarrett gets Killings….just not in a World Title match. Instead, it’s Jarrett and Killings against AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn in a Tag Team Title match. So yeah, there’s the screwy twist that they just have to do. The fans even boo, because not only were they screwed out of a title shot, but Jarrett is screwed over as well as he won that match 100% clean and is getting ripped off. Again: this booking is horrible.

Miss TNA: Bruce vs. Taylor Vaughn

Bruce is defending in an Evening Gown match so Bruce is indeed in a dress. Bruce immediately takes her down and hits a suplex before adding a faceplant. Then he takes Vaughn’s dress off for the win in a total squash. This stuff is still so dumb.

Post match Bruce strips to make the fans happy and we get a lot of pixelation.

Don West gives us a preview of next week’s show and shills merchandise. To be fair, this is his specialty and he’s awesome at this kind of thing.

X-Division Title: Low Ki vs. AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn

Jeff Jarrett and Ron Killings argue in the back as Styles beats up Lynn. Jarrett comes out to yell because OF COURSE he’s the last thing we see.

Overall Rating: C-. I’m not sure what it says when a show with that awesome of a main event, plus a good opener and a fine Apollo vs. Jarrett match is still so weak. The bad parts on this are just so bad that they drag down the good things. As usual with a Russo booked show, everything is just so all over the place and at times idiotic that you forget how good some of the wrestling really is. It’s an improvement over last week, and that’s all because of the X-Division carrying everything they can.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #6 (2024 Edition): What Does That Even Mean?

NWA TNA Weekly PPV #6
Date: July 24, 2002
Location: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara, Don West

I would say things are picking up around here but that isn’t exactly accurate. There are some things going on but a good may of them aren’t good. With a focus on the weird Puppet stuff, whatever the Dupps are doing and Jeff Jarrett as a focal point, the show isn’t exactly thrilling content. Hopefully it improves here though so let’s get to it.

Here is last week’s show if you need a recap.

We open with Jeff Jarrett smashing a bunch of people with chairs (as he did to end last week’s show). He says the NWA World Title is his and he wants Ken Shamrock out here right now. Shamrock is in the back and yells at Bob Armstrong, saying he’s going to the ring. After heading towards the ring, Shamrock locks a door and has a rather muscular man stand guard. Bill Behrens comes to the ring instead and suspends Jarrett, who chairs him in the head. Now Shamrock gets in for the brawl but some wrestlers come out to break it up, allowing Jarrett to chair Shamrock in the head.

Commentary previews the show.

Amazing Red vs. Low Ki

Jeff Jarrett tries to get back stage but is blocked by the rather muscular man.

Hot Shots vs. Chris Harris/James Storm

Earlier today, Harris told Storm that the cowboy stuff was stupid and he better not fire those cap guns. The fight starts on the floor and we settle down to Storm headscissoring Stevens. Harris comes in with a spear and a belly to belly, but O’Reilly sends him outside. A drop onto the barricade has Harris in trouble for a change though and a dropkick gives O’Reilly two back inside.

Stevens hits a handspring elbow for two of his own, only for O’Reilly to miss (meaning hits, but only because Harris didn’t roll away face enough) a moonsault. It’s back to Harris as everything breaks down, with Storm hitting a reverse tornado DDT. Harris’ northern lights suplex is enough for the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C. This was the latest win for Harris and Storm, who are rising up the ranks rather quickly. Well as many ranks as you can have so soon in a company’s history. You can tell there is a chemistry there and that is something that can take them a rather long way. The match was nothing of note though, as the Hot Shots just didn’t have much going on.

Post match the Hot Shots jump them from behind for the beatdown.

Ken Shamrock wants Jeff Jarrett.

Apolo vs. Brian Lawler

Thankfully Lawler doesn’t get to talk before he slams Apolo go start. Apolo is back up with a slam of his own and Lawler is not pleased. A Sky High gives Apollo two so Lawler goes back to the Memphis playbook with a foreign object. Some choking on the ropes keeps Apolo in trouble and a middle rope dropkick makes it worse. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Apolo is back up with a running shoulder. The legdrop gives Apolo two but the TKO is countered into a reverse DDT. Lawler, with his mouth bleeding, stops to dance…and is promptly rolled up for the pin at 7:06.

Rating: C. Again, Lawler just isn’t much in the ring and that hasn’t changed no matter what he’s been doing. That kind of style works in a place like the old Memphis territory and there is nothing wrong with it, but it’s not working here. Throw in the fact that he was just Grandmaster Sexay about a year ago and still acts the same way and it’s not exactly clicking. At least he wasn’t ranting about Jerry Lawler for once, as that isn’t working in the slightest.

Post match Lawler beats up Don West because that’s what a villain should do. There is still no security but Lawler lets him go anyway.

Here is K-Krush and we get a montage of him hanging…well actually just Norman Smiley and Scott Hall. Back in the arena, Krush talks about how he doesn’t want to go by this name because THEY gave it to him. He is being held down by THEY in the back before talking about Allen Iverson (he’s wearing an Iverson jersey) and says that like Iverson, he’s the TRUTH.

After talking about Mike Tyson and OJ Simpson, Money Brown (to what would become Abyss’ music) interrupts to brag about his own football career. Krush can blame everyone he wants, but maybe he’s just not all that. The challenge is issued but Truth (seems to be his official name) isn’t interested. The brawl is on and Brown easily clears him out.

We recap the issues between AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn. They hate each other but work well together, which is why they’re still Tag Team Champions. A lot of brawling has ensued.

We get a sitdown interview between Styles and Lynn from earlier today and, after the video doesn’t work the first time, they talk about how they still don’t get along. Tonight, they have to get together to retain the Tag Team Titles.

Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn vs. Flying Elvises

And now, Glenn Gilbertti has a talk show. After referencing Joey Maggs, Gilbertti talks about how much success he has had, all while commentary WILL NOT SHUT UP about how Gilbertti isn’t a star, continuing to completely undermine the entire joke. Anyway, Gilbertti is help AJ Styles be more athletic, show Ken Shamrock how to be charismatic, and Tennessee how to be smart. Next week, it’s the debut of Jive Talkin. Just in case we didn’t have enough comedy acts.

Ken Shamrock and the muscular guy….are cut off by a camera cut.

Simon Diamond/Johnny Swinger vs. Monty Brown/Elix Skipper

Skipper kicks away at Diamond to start and it’s off to brown for a Flip, Flop And Fly of all things. Swinger gets a clothesline from the apron to take over on Skipper and some rolling suplexes into a gordbuster gets two. Skipper gets in a shot to the face though and it’s Brown coming in to clean house. Diamond drops Brown from behind but a quick Alpha Bomb gives Brown the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C. Yeah I think they know what they have here with Brown, as he’s such a ball of charisma and an athletic freak on top of that. You don’t get someone like that very often and TNA would be smart to push him even harder. Other than that, Diamond and Swinger are good choices to put out there as designated victims as they work well together.

Post match The Truth comes in to jump Brown and choke him out.

The Dupps don’t have a match tonight but intentionally bump into Goldilocks, which is supposed to set up a match. Instead Bo goes after the muscular guy and a match is made.

Bo Dupp vs. Ian Harrison

Stan Dupp is on commentary as the rather big Harrison powers Bo into the corner. A suplex gives Bo a breather but Harrison easily slams him down. Some forearms just annoy Harrison, who comes back with a powerslam for the pin….despite the referee looking confused, at 2:59. Or was it a DQ when Stan ran in? Not that it matters as the Dupps are done for the night and that’s a good thing.

Post match the Dupps go after Harrison, who clears them out with ease. Harrison was every generic monster power wrestler you can imagine. Great physique, but nothing that is going to seem interesting.

With Harrison in the ring, Ken Shamrock and Jeff Jarrett can finally brawl. It’s broken up just as fast.

We get a pretty long recap of Sabu beating Malice in a ladder match to become the new #1 contender.

NWA World Title: Ken Shamrock vs. Sabu

Shamrock is defending and hits him in the face to start. Commentary explains that to even this out, it is Ladder vs. Submission, which means Shamrock has to win by submission and Sabu has to win by climbing a ladder to get the belt (because of course they have to make this more complicated). Sabu grabs a kneebar, suggesting that he can win by submission as well, only for Shamrock to fight out and kick him in the head.

Shamrock is back with a kneebar of his own as we’re told that Ricky Steamboat will be in charge next week. Sabu’s armbar is reversed into a kneebar, with Sabu getting to the ropes. Sabu gets knocked outside where he grabs a ladder, which is kicked into his face. They fight up to the stage for a few seconds before Shamrock is sent through the barricade.

Shamrock is laid onto a table but Sabu takes too long setting up a dive, meaning he only hits table. Now Shamrock gets to go up (as Ladder vs. Submission is already getting confusing) and grabs the belt…but the lights go out. Cue Malice to chokeslam Shamrock off the ladder and grab the belt, which makes the bell ring at 9:31.

Rating: D. They had some hard hitting stuff in there, but when commentary can’t explain the rules, it might be proof that they don’t nee to be there. The idea of ladder vs. submission only makes so much sense in the first place, as there was no reason to change it from being anything other than a regular match. And then the ending is someone pulling the title down because…I have no idea what is going on in this whole thing.

Overall Rating: C+. Things might be inching in the right direction here as there was enough focus on the better, more interesting things. At the same time, there are still enough bad things (submission vs. ladder, the Dupps, Gilbertti’s talk show, anything with Lawler and more) to hold it down. I’m certainly not optimistic, but things could be a lot worse.

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #5 (2024 Edition): They Need To Focus

NWA TNA Weekly PPV #5
Date: July 17, 2002
Location: Nashville Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara, Don West

We’re back for another batch of these things and the promotion is not in good shape. Save for the X-Division, the shows are just not very good and there isn’t much of a way around it. Ken Shamrock isn’t an interesting World Champion and Brian Christopher is still getting a lot of attention for whatever reason. Then there’s Jeff Jarrett, and I mean a lot of Jeff Jarrett, on top of everything else. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Jeff Jarrett going all nuts and attacking Ken Shamrock with a chair last week.

Shamrock doesn’t have any comment but he’s ready to show how mad he is.

Opening sequence.

Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett, the latter of whom is ready to be in a ladder match for the #1 contendership to the World Title, brawl in the back and fight outside. The fight is broken up and executive Bill Behrens says Jarrett has forfeited his spot in the match.

Here is Malice (Jarrett’s scheduled opponent) with Father James Mitchell, so it’s open challenge time for the #1 contenders ladder match. The lights go out and….let’s get this over with as fast as we can.

Malice vs. Sabu

Ladder match for the #1 contenders match and Sabu starts fast with a tornado DDT. Malice isn’t having that and chokes him down before grabbing a chair. A backbreaker plants Sabu again and Malice sends him face first into a chair in the corner. It’s time to get the ladder, which Sabu dropkicks into Malice’s face. The triple jump dive to the floor drops Malice again before bridging the ladder between the apron and the barricade.

That takes way too long though and Malice drops him onto the ladder, followed by a World’s Strongest Slam onto it as well. Naturally Sabu is right back up with a springboard leg lariat into the ladder into Malice for another knockdown. It’s way too early to get the contract though as Malice powerbombs him down, followed by a nasty overhead belly to belly into the ladder.

Malice goes up but Sabu dropkicks the ladder out and chairs him in the head. Sabu kind of bulldogs the ladder down onto Malice, who is right back with a spinebuster. Malice’s climb up the ladder is cut off with a shove through a table, allowing Sabu to pull down the contract and win at 13:29.

Rating: C+. This could have been worse, as Sabu could still move and fits in far better with this kind of carnage than a regular match. If nothing else it adds a bit of a spark, as Sabu is a big enough name to be slotted into the World Title scene, even if it is for the short term. Besides, Malice’s time in the title scene has already been wrapped up so it is time to see someone new get a shot.

Post match the Disciples of the New Church come in to beat on Sabu and a super chokeslam puts him through a table.

Jeff Jarrett and Scott Hall are still being held apart and Jarrett is ejected.

Here’s AJ Styles for an unscheduled chat. Styles calls out Jerry Lynn, who storms to the ring and says Styles must want to know why Lynn jumped him last week. Lynn says he’s been wrestling for fourteen years and done more in this business than Styles has done in his lifetime.

Styles hasn’t done anything or even had to sleep in his car eating peanut butter sandwiches. Lynn gave him a chance when they teamed up and he isn’t going to stand for the disrespect. Styles lays him out and hits the Styles Clash. This was fine and to the point, but commentary responding to EVERYTHING either of them said took away a lot of the impact.

We look back at Jasmin St. Clair stripping for Jeremy Borash and Ed Ferrara making sure it happened in a funny bit.

Francine jumps St. Clair in the back and throws her in the shower.

K-Krush vs. Norman Smiley

Before the match, Krush brags about star power (he even SMELLS like a star). Why did the NWA put him in the ring with a NASCAR driver? They were afraid he was going to become something they couldn’t control and then they would have to sell his t-shirts. He’s been treated as a second class citizen despite being better than everyone. It’s because he’s a Black man, and he’s the truth.

With that out of the way, Krush knocks Smiley down into the corner but Smiley is back with the swinging slam. The Big Wiggle into a faceplant plants Krush again but he hits a spinning forearm to cut that off. Back up and a Russian legsweep gets Smiley out of trouble but Krush plants him with a sitout gordbuster for the win at 3:25.

Rating: C-. This really didn’t work, mainly because they went from a rather serious promo from Krush into something totally goofy, which is all Smiley did at this point. Smiley did have some status, but you probably shouldn’t be having the Big Wiggle after someone went on a rant about how he was being held back because of his face. Krush should have squashed him, but maybe don’t let Smiley get in that much goofy stuff.

Post match Krush takes off his belt and whips Smiley before hanging him over the top. Smiley’s wife comes out for the save and gets choked as well. This isn’t going to go well and it wasn’t exactly comfortable stuff anyway.

Puppet is in a trashcan and all annoyed about his match with Meatball. It’s implied that he is, uh, doing something rather personal with his hand.

The Dupps are all weird and make inappropriate comments about Goldilocks.

Flying Elvises vs. Christopher Daniels/Elix Skipper

Estrada is sent outside to start and Skipper hits a quick dive. Back in and Siaki takes over on Skipper before it’s back to Estrada for a butterfly suplex. Siaki joins commentary for a second to brag about how awesome he is before stomping away back inside. Estrada comes in with a double springboard moonsault but Skipper gets over for the tag to Daniels.

A Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Estrada but Siaki’s cheap shot from the floor lets Estrada get in a quick knockdown. Skipper comes back in as everything breaks down, with Estrada hitting a springboard moonsault. Daniels hits a much less springboardy but far better moonsault for two of his own. Siaki and Daniels fight to the floor, meaning there’s no count off Skipper’s Play Of The Day. Instead Siaki comes back in for a rolling cutter to finish Skipper at 9:50.

Rating: C+. This was a fast paced tag match with the Elvises stealing the win over the rather talented Daniels/Skipper team. The tag division is still coming together and it is kind of hard to make that work. Putting teams together work though and this is the kind of match you have to use to make that work.

Post match the Dupps run in to take out the Elvises.

Scott Hall jumps K-Krush and leaves him laying without much trouble.

Meatball vs. Puppet

Hardcore match and Puppet jumps him to start, setting up a ram into a trashcan. Meatball knocks him to the floor though and it’s an ax handle from the apron. The fight heads up towards the entrance, where Meatball pulls some food from a shopping cart to mess Puppet up a bit. A dropkick sends a chair into Meatball’s face and a DDT gives Puppet two. Puppet hits a middle rope Fameasser onto a chair and a Vader Bomb onto a chair onto Meatball is good for the pin at 6:16.

Rating: D-. Oh come on. This was stupid, it wasn’t funny, the whole thing went on too long and this whole deal feels like such a waste of time. I’m sure someone gets a kick out of this but it’s just not working, with the gag of Puppet being a hardcore wrestler having lost the charm which barely existed in the first place. Just find something else to fill in the time.

Here is a damaged Jasmin St. Clair to call out Francine.

Francine vs. Jasmin St. Clair

It’s a brawl to start, they both lose clothes, Blue Meanie comes in to DDT Francine for the DQ at 1:25. This was all about the clothes and nothing more.

Meanie carries St. Clair off and Francine is taken out on a stretcher.

We look at some of Low Ki’s and AJ Styles’ signature moves.

X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. Low Ki

Ki is challenging and they wrestle to the mat to start. Back up and they chop it out to a standoff until Ki takes him down. Ki strikes away as fans look at someone holding a sign, with security seemingly going after him. Styles gets in a slam and a flipping splash but Ki knees him to the apron.

Ki misses an Asai moonsault but he’s able to kick Styles in the face to cut off a dive. They slug it out on the apron until Ki gets a dragon sleeper in the ropes. Styles uses said ropes to escape and grabs a brainbuster for two. The Spiral Tap misses but Styles reverses a fireman’s carry into a Death Valley Driver for a needed breather. It’s Ki going up but he dives into the Styles Clash to retain Styles’ title at 10:36.

Rating: B-. These two work well together and that shouldn’t be a surprise given how well they have done in previous matches. It wasn’t exactly an epic showdown or a classic match, but they were working hard and it didn’t feel like two old rejects from WCW. Styles continues to be the breakout star around here and that is likely to continue if he’s going to keep doing this well.

Post match Jerry Lynn spears Styles down and gives him he piledriver. A ladder is brought in and Lynn suplexes him into it for the nasty crash.

Scott Hall vs. Brian Lawler

Before the match, Lawler rants about how stupid people have to be to be Jerry Lawler fans. The challenge is issued again and Brian throws in some Jim Ross insults for a bonus. Hall sneaks up behind him and after even more ranting from Brian, Hall finally punches him down to get going. Some right hands send Brian outside and even more knock him off th announcers’ table.

The beating goes around ringside until Brian gets in a shot of his own to take over. Back in and Brian hammers away as there are an awful lot of empty seats on camera. A suplex gives Brian two and, after insulting the fans some more, he goes up but gets slammed off the top. Hall’s belly to back superplex connects and, after taking out K-Krush, the Outsider’s Edge finishes Brian at 8:43.

Rating: C-. At the end of the day, these matches just aren’t very good. They’re a bunch of punching, a few other moves, and then the finish. It doesn’t help when Brian is doing basic heel stuff straight out of the Memphis playbook, but that is only going to do so much to get him around the fact that he’s Brian Lawler and won’t shut up about his dad. Hall didn’t do much more than his signature stuff, which is only so good at this point.

Post match Brian and Krush beat Hall down and hang him over the ropes. Hall goes out on a stretcher but Jeff Jarrett runs in with a chair and wrecks Hall and pretty much everyone not named Lawler or Krush.

Overall Rating: C. There is some passable stuff on here but the bad is dragging it all the way down. Other than that, the good stuff, which is mainly centered around the less goofy people, is watchable enough. In other words, as has been the case, there is a decent show here if you get rid of the terrible parts. The problem is there is quite a bit of terrible and a lot of it is getting the focus. Fix that and this goes up in value, but it isn’t looking likely anytime soon. Ultimately, the biggest issue is that I have no idea what the biggest story is supposed to be around here and I don’t think the company does either.

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NWA TNA Weekly PPV #4 (2024 Redo): Feel The Fingerprints

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #4
Date: July 10, 2002
Location: Nashville Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara, Don West

The promotion is still getting started and still in search of a top story. We have Brian Christopher turning on Scott Hall so Jeff Jarrett could b a bigger villain, Ken Shamrock doing whatever he has going on and AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn being partners who can’t stand each other. That makes for a bit of a mixed bag around here, but odds are we’ll be seeing a bunch of dumb ideas to go with those. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We recap how AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn won the Tag Team Titles in their first match as a team (minus Low Ki that is).

Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn vs. Disciples Of The New Church

Post match a bunch of pyro goes off, which seems like quite the celebration for a title defense. Lynn isn’t pleased with Styles’ celebration and walks out.

Commentary shows us the end of last week’s show, with Brian Christopher turning on Scott Hall, leading to a big Jeff Jarrett beatdown. Hall calls in and swears vengeance, with the audio from the replay drowning out his interview, because this promotion doesn’t know what it’s doing.

Here is Christopher to say it’s time for his to transition from a child to a man. For his entire life, he has been known as Jerry Lawler’s son and now, screw Jerry. His dad was a terrible father and last week, Christopher took Hall out. He tells Jerry to go to h*** and goes on a rant about how Jerry was never there so now it’s time to be his own man. From now on, it’s all about Brian LAWLER. So Jerry shows up soon for a fight right? Otherwise, that would be a pretty big waste of a promo.

Brian Lawler vs. Norman Smiley

Lawler jumps him to start but Smiley gets in a shot of his own and stops to dance. The Big Wiggle ensues so Lawler plants him down to cut that off. A running shoulder in the corner has Smiley in more trouble but he avoids another one, with Lawler going shoulder first into the post. Smiley hammers away in the corner, only for Lawler to get in a low blow. The Hip Hop Drop (he does at least take off the goggles) finishes Smiley at 4:48.

Rating: C. It’s a heel turn, but unfortunately it’s a heel turn for Brian Lawler. You’re just only going to get so much out of that and I’m thinking we’ve already seen the peak of the whole thing. The Jerry promo was just weird and the match itself was just ok.

Post match Lawler calls out Scott Hall, who is next on his list.

Jeff Jarrett is told that he doesn’t have a World Title shot. He shoves Bill Behrens (How many authority figures does this show need?) and gets suspended before storming off. As this goes on, we can hear James Mitchell yelling at the New Church but the door is shut before we see anything.

K-Krush vs. Hermie Sadler

Before the match, Krush threatens the fans for liking NASCAR too much. They yell at each other to start before Krush hammers away, only to be sent outside. Sadler gets in a few shots and then rains down some right hands inside for two but Krush is back with the ax kick for an arrogant near fall of his own. A suplex gives Krush two more and a powerslam gets the same (with one finger). The Figure Four goes on but Sadler turns it over for the break, because he knows how to do that. Krush dives into a sitout powerbomb but Krush rolls him up with feet on the ropes for the pin at 5:06.

Rating: D+. What is there to say about this? It’s been one of the worst parts of the company for the first four weeks and it was bad again here. Sadler isn’t a wrestler and isn’t interesting but he’s the closest thing to a celebrity that they have who can get in the ring. The match was pretty bad even by celebrity standards and the Krush just cheated to beat him. Nothing to this one and hopefully it’s over.

Then Krush hits Sadler after the match and the decision is reversed. Victory?

Takao Omori, the #1 contender to the World Title, pays Alicia off.

Hot Shots vs. Briscoes

That would be Cassidy O’Reilly/Chase Stevens vs. those Briscoes, the latter of whom don’t get entrances. Jay headscissors Stevens down to start and it’s off to Mark, who gets spinebustered down. Mark comes back in with a springboard missile dropkick to the back but gets backdropped hard to the floor. The Hot Shots hit stereo dives….and cue Malice of the New Church to jump Stevens for the DQ at 2:10. This was rather fast paced but just a bunch of moves until the quick ending.

Post match Malice wrecks everyone as James Mitchell and the New Church approve. Mitchell says they aren’t leaving until Ken Shamrock’s blood is on Malice’s hands. There is no Shamrock, so Mitchell has the Disciples beat up the timekeeper. Now Shamrock runs in but gets beaten down, with Takao Omori running in for the save before their title match later.

The Dupps are rather disgusting but are ready to beat up the Flying Elvises. If the shoe fits, it’s probably the right size.

We’re ready for a tag match but adult film star Jasmin St. Clair interrupts instead. She knows what the letters TNA really stand for so who wants to see the real thing tonight? A chair is thrown in and ring announcer Jeremy Borash (described as her “little sex toy”) is sat down for a dance (with his eyes bugging out in a hilarious visual. Bill Behrens comes in with a towel and Ed Ferrara runs in to spear him down (ok points for a funny bit). St. Clair is taken out with the towel anyway to end an unintentionally funny but stupid segment.

Flying Elvises vs. Dupps

Fluff is here with the Dupps. It’s a brawl to start and Siaki is put down with a spinebuster as Mortimer Plumtree comes out, because something has to happen in every single match. Estrada gets sent into the corner as Plumtree says the Johnsons needed discipline after last week. Stan’s Alabama Slam out of the corner doesn’t even get one due to a foot on the rope but Siaki fakes a tag and takes over on Bo. The split legged moonsault gives Siaki two but Bo plants him back down. Stan comes in as everything breaks down, with Estrada hitting a springboard spinning Swanton for the pin on Stan at 5:03.

Rating: C. I’m not sure if you could have Vince Russo’s fingerprints on a match more than this one. Not only do you have a lowest common denominator gimmick like the Dupps, but you have another goofy thing in the Elvises, plus someone walking out without having much to do with the match, which is not exactly great in the first place. It’s a case of too much going on and the stuff that is going on not being very good anyway. Much like a lot of this show.

Jerry Lynn and AJ Styles are brawling throughout the back, with Lynn sending him into the barricade and hitting a cradle piledriver onto an anvil case.

NWA World Title: Takao Omori vs. Ken Shamrock

Shamrock is defending and fires off some knees to the ribs to start. A figure four headscissors has Omori in more trouble as Harley Race is watching at ringside. That’s broken up and the bigger Omori fights out of the corner and hits a running spinwheel kick. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Omori whips him into the corner, where the spinwheel kick misses.

Shamrock chokes on the rope but Omori grabs a running neckbreaker (though he seemed to come in from the wrong direction for a weird visual). Omori shrugs off some kicks to the bad leg (as injured by the missed kick) and hits a clothesline for two. A kneebar has Omori in more trouble so he makes the rope, meaning the ankle lock goes on…and here is Jeff Jarrett to chair Shamrock for the DQ at 7:53.

Rating: C. Of course that’s how it ends. This was another good example of what’s going wrong with a lot of this show: who is Omori, why should I care about him, and is this going to lead anywhere for him? Omori was named (not shown) last week and suddenly gets a World Title shot based on his reputation in Japan. You could have had him do a squash match or something last week to show us even a glimpse, but instead he’s debuted and loses his focus in less than eight minutes. That doesn’t make me want to see more, but rather wondering why I’m supposed to be interested.

Post match Jarrett beats up both of them, plus security.

Jerry Lynn won’t talk about what he did to AJ Styles. James Mitchell and the Disciples of the New Church come in, looking for Jeff Jarrett and the sin he just committed. Did he try the ring? As in where Jarrett just was? Anyway, we cut over to Bill Behrens, having been bound and gagged with FU written on his stomach, just like Jim Miller last week.

Low Ki vs. Elix Skipper vs. Kid Romeo vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Tony Mamaluke

This is an elimination match to establish the X-Division rankings (the first wrestler eliminated is #6, the next is #5 and so on) and thank goodness there are tags. Romeo and Daniels start things off with Romeo working on the arm before switching to a headlock. A dropkick puts Daniels down again so it’s off to Skipper to kick him in the face. Mamaluke comes in to help double team Skipper down as commentary goes over some WCW history.

Skipper gets his leg dropkicked out to cut him off again but he hands it off to Lynn for a monkey flip. Ki comes in and kicks Mamaluke’s head off for two (that should have been an elimination) but Mamaluke is back with a suplex. It’s back to Romeo to chop away at Daniels until Lynn comes back in and sunset flips Romeo for two. A middle rope tornado DDT gives Lynn two more but Daniels monkey flips Lynn outside.

The Arabian moonsault drops Lynn again, setting up a big dive from Romeo. Ki and Skipper hit stereo flip dives of their own and everyone is down. Back in and Lynn hits his slingshot Fameasser over the ropes to Daniels, only to get crotched on top. Actually that’s it for Lynn, who is eliminated via….countout at about 10:15? That’s quite the stretch after EVERYONE WAS ON THE FLOOR JUST A FEW SECONDS AGO.

Anyway, Mamaluke gordbusters Daniels and grabs a Koji Clutch but Skipper comes back in with a running clothesline. The Play Of The Day gets rid of Mamaluke at 11:29 and we’re down to four. Ki comes in and stomps away on Skipper before sending him hard out to the floor. Back in and a Ki Crusher into the corner knocks Skipper silly for two, as these kickouts on Ki are a bit ridiculous. Skipper is back up with a backbreaker and a missile dropkick but it’s back to Daniels to slug away. Matt Hardy’s Ricochet drops Daniels and the Last Rites (something like Cross Rhodes) gets rid of Skipper at 14:54.

Romeo faceplants Daniels for two and dropkicks Ki off the apron, leaving Ki holding his arm. Daniels takes Romeo up top, only to get pulled into a super Air Raid Crash (that looked good) for the…not pin as Daniels’ foot was on the rope. Ki comes back in with the dragon sleeper to make Romeo tap at 17:03 and now we’re down to Ki vs. Daniels.

They trade chops in the corner until Daniels grabs a Downward Spiral for the double knockdown. The Best Moonsault Ever gives Daniels a delayed near fall and they trade cradles for two each. The dragon sleeper has Daniels in trouble again but he flips out in time. Daniels grabs an Iconoclasm (Fall From Grace) out of the corner for two more but a quick Ki Crusher gives Ki the win at 21:41.

Rating: B. Shockingly enough, this was the most entertaining match of the night, which probably comes from it getting more time and allowing the people involved to do their thing for a good while. I like the idea of having rankings in the division, but that isn’t going to matter if they don’t stick. It would not shock me at all to see Ki getting a shot and then Lynn jumping into a title match because of personal reasons, making most of the concept pointless, but at least they had a very fast paced match on the way there.

Post match the Flying Elvises run in to clean house because they wanted in the match (fair point). Tony Mamaluke and Kid Romeo run in for the save.

Commentary previews next week’s show….and here is Jeff Jarrett, who was suspended earlier tonight and it means nothing. He wants the World Title shot next week and yells at fans until going after some Tennessee Titans, who jump the barricade for the brawl. Cue the Disciples of the New Church, with Malice brawling with Jarrett into the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Believe it or not, the X-Division is carrying this show, but at the end of the day, there is only so much that you can get out of them when the rest of the show is pretty horrible. As has been the case, it doesn’t feel like there is much in the way of focus around here and the show feels all over the place as a result. There are stories going on, but they’re not exactly things that I want to keep watching. The Lawler stuff feels like it could get stupid in a hurry and Jarrett whining about wanting a title shot has already lost its appeal. There’s good stuff in there, but there is a lot of bad to sit through to find it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #1 (2024 Redo): Any Port In A WWE Storm

NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #1
Date: June 19, 2002
Location: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Don West, Ed Ferrara

I’ve tried to do this series more than once and it has never quite worked but I might as well try it again. I’ve done the first 18 before but since it’s been so many years and I can’t even remember what happened, we’ll just start from the beginning. This is of course the new Jerry Jarrett promotion that was designed to fill in the gap left by WCW and it went…well yeah. Let’s get to it.

Commentary gets their entrances and we get an intro to the company, as well as the rules for tonight’s Gauntlet For The Gold (basically a Royal Rumble with a singles match at the end) for the World Title.

We open with an in-ring legends ceremony, with some big names included:

Harley Race
Dory Funk Jr.
Jackie Fargo
Bob Armstrong
Corsica Joe
Bill Behrens
Ricky Steamboat

Steamboat has the World Title and talks about how important the belt is to him and everyone else in the ring. Tonight you will see the Gauntlet For The Gold for the title and Steamboat will be the guest referee when it gets down to two. Cue Jeff Jarrett to interrupt and he hates the whole idea. Fargo doesn’t want to hear it and puts Jarrett in the Gauntlet at #1. Cue Ken Shamrock to say he doesn’t like this either, but Jarrett isn’t beating him up. Cue Scott Hall through the crowd (fresh off being thrown out of WWE) to say quit crying about the match because that’s how it’s going to go.

Puppet the Psycho Dwarf thinks his match should start the show because he’s the real star.

AJ Styles/Low Ki/Jerry Lynn vs. Flying Elvises

Teo vs. Hollywood

It’s a midget match and Teo, the World’s Smallest Extreme Athlete, jumps him to start and hammers away in the corner. Tenay talks about how Rey Mysterio was asked to be a midget wrestler when he started. Ferrara: “And what happened?” Tenay: “Obviously he didn’t.” Thanks for that Mike. They trade rollups for two each until Hollywood knocks him down and hits a top rope splash for two. Teo comes back with a Russian legsweep into a top rope twisting Swanton for the pin at 2:49. Short and pretty much what you would expect here.

Apparently Teo stands for Totally (Totally E) Outstanding. That’s….eh it’s kind of clever.

Ferrara gets in the ring and announces next week’s lingerie battle royal, with Ferrara and West bringing out various women who will be included, such as Francine, Shannon (Daphne), Alexis Laree (Mickie James), Elektra (from ECW) and more. Francine says none of these women can compare to her but Elektra doesn’t want to hear about extreme. The brawl is on and clothes are ripped off. This was what you would think it would be.

Mortimer Plumtree, a rather nerdy manager who carries a paddle, brags about the force of his rather obedient tag team: the Johnsons.

Johnsons vs. Psicosis/James Storm

That’s quite a team to face off against the guys in flesh colored outfits meant to resemble a certain body part. Storm is a cowboy of course but looks more like a flasher in a cowboy hat. He does at least have some cap guns to make it more authentic. Richard sends Psicosis hard into the corner to start and snaps off a suplex for two. The Johnsons are sent into each other though and Storm dropkicks Rod down.

Cue Alicia (Ryan Shamrock) to watch, with commentary being glad for the camera to pan out and show the rest of her. Psicosis comes back in for a basement dropkick but the Johnsons plant him with a double flapjack. A t-bone suplex drops Psicosis again as commentary makes rather lame jokes. Psicosis faceplants his way out of a powerbomb attempt but the Johnsons snap off stereo suplexes. Everything breaks down and a sloppy TKO finishes Storm at 4:54.

Rating: C-. For a match that was all about making various awful jokes over one idea as many times as possible, this was surprisingly dull. Psicosis and Storm are as thrown together as you can find and while the Johnsons were a decent power team, they couldn’t be more one joke if they tried. It’s designed to make the writers laugh and if they have to go for a joke on the first show, so it be I guess.

Post match Alicia talks to the referee, who pays her.

The Dupps (Stan, better known as Trevor Murdoch, and Bo) go to have beers with their cousin Fluff but they aren’t allowed to wrestle.

Here are NASCAR drivers Hermie Sadler and Sterling Marlin for a chat. Marlin is the current season points leader and is ready to go race in California this week. Cue K-Krush (R-Truth) who is sick of hearing about race car drivers. He’s a real athlete instead of someone who drives around in a circle.

Sadler mocks Krush’s look and says this place is full of NASCAR fans. Krush isn’t interested but Brian Lawler (Grandmaster Sexay) runs in for the save. The drivers get to beat Krush up and Lawler issues the challenge for next week. Seems to be on. Commentary going back and forth between Brian Christopher and Brian Lawler isn’t a good sign.

Jeff Jarrett is choking Jackie Fargo.

Christian York/Joey Matthews vs. Dupps

The Dupps, with Fluff (the cousin AND girlfriend), are as stereotypical of a hillbilly team as you could get. York gets dropped to start but Matthews comes in with a double springboard dropkick. Bo strikes away on Matthews and hits a standing splash for two. Back up and Matthews clotheslines his way to freedom, allowing York to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and York hits a tornado DDT but Fluff breaks up something off the top, allowing Stan to get the pin at 3:42.

Rating: C. York and Matthews are a good team for a pair of young, athletic stars but there is only so much you can get when you have a one note comedy act. The Dupps are about as dumb of a team as you can get, save for the team that we saw in the previous match. One team showed potential while the other was awful, so guess which team won.

Here’s the video for Toby Keith’s How Do You Like Me Now. He’s no Hardcore Holly.

Here is Keith to sing Courtesy Of The Red White And Blue live and, after quite a lengthy performance, Jeff Jarrett interrupts. Jarrett: “How do you like ME now?” Keith is held back.

NWA World Title: Gauntlet For The Gold

The title is vacant coming in (as Dan Severn was stripped of the title due to not defending it here), there are twenty entrants with ninety second intervals and it’s a battle royal until the final two entrants. Jeff Jarrett is in at #1 and Buff Bagwell is in at #2 to slug away and hit the running neckbreaker. The Blockbuster connects but a charging Bagwell is sent out with a backdrop. Lash Leroux is in at #3 And they both head outside (not eliminated) to slug it out.

Back in and the Stroke connects, with Leroux being easily tossed. Norman Smiley is in at #4 as the remaining time is skipped if there is only one person in the ring. Good for fans, totally unfair to the lone wrestler. Jarrett blocks the Big Wiggle and tosses Smiley without much trouble. Apollo (a rather big and muscular wrestler from Puerto Rico) is in at #5 and manages to send Jarrett to the apron for some stomping but can’t get him out. K-Krush is in at #6 and saves Jarrett from a gorilla press, setting up an ax kick to Apollo. Slash, with James Mitchell, is in at #7 as Apollo fights up.

Jarrett saves Slash for no logical reason and the villains hammer on Apollo again. Del Rios is in at #8 as the ring is starting to fill up. The rather large Justice (soon to be known as Abyss) is in at #9 and hits the yet to be named Black Hole Slam on Del Rios. Slash adds a reverse DDT to Del Rios and it’s Konnan in at #10 to pick up the pace.

That gives us a grouping of Jarrett, Apollo, K-Krush, Slash, Del Rios, Justice and Konnan, which is quite the collection. Here is Joel Gertner to limerick Bruce (better known as Kwee Wee in WCW) at #11. The entrance takes so long that almost nothing can happen before Rick Steiner is in at #12. Slash is eliminated and Justice follows him as Rick clears some of the ring. Malice (formerly known as The Wall in WCW and Slash’s partner in the Disciples Of The New Church) is in at #13 and throws out Bruce, K-Krush, Del Rios and Konnan before low bridging Steiner out. Apollo skins the cat to stay alive and it’s Scott Hall in at #14.

A superkick drops Malice and Hall hits the Razor’s Edge to plant Jarrett. Toby Keith is in at #15 (oh dear) and suplexes Jarrett (who can’t hide that he’s doing the work) before tossing him out. Keith walks out, seemingly eliminating himself, leaving us with Hall, Apollo and Malice. Chris Harris is in at #16 to pick up the pace but the Vampire Warrior (Gangrel) follows him and seems to be in as well. Devon Storm (formerly known as Crowbar) is in at #17 (I think?) and gets to hit some people but no one is tossed.

Steve Corino is in at #18 and seems rather happy to be here. Mitchell gets in a cheap shot to cut Corino off as Ken Shamrock is in at #19. Some rather hard striking abounds until Malice catches him with a chokeslam. Harris is sent to the apron but comes back in to hammer on the Warrior. Brian Christopher is in at #20, giving us a final grouping of Hall, Apollo, Malice, Harris, Warrior, Storm, Corino, Shamrock and Christopher.

Harris, Storm and the Warrior are out in a hurry and Christopher knocks Corino out as well. Shamrock kicks Christopher down and throws him out before Malice does the same to Apollo. Hall is tossed as well and it’s Shamrock vs. Malice for the title, with Ricky Steamboat as referee.

Malice puts him down rather quickly and gets two off a side slam. Shamrock’s sunset flip is blocked but the chokeslam is countered into a cross armbreaker. Malice grabs the rope so Shamrock grabs the ankle lock, with Malice going to the rope again. For some reason Shamrock just pulls him back and doesn’t let go, so another rope has to be grabbed for the real break. Shamrock even yells at Steamboat (no one yells at Ricky Steamboat) before countering a chokeslam into a belly to belly suplex for the pin and the title at 37:37.

Rating: C+. There were definitely names involved here and it made the match feel more prestigious. A match like this is about setting the standard for the main event scene going forward and Shamrock is a good choice to start things off. Malice felt like a monster but there is only so much you can get out of that monsterness when Shamrock beats him in a few minutes. For now though, this is the right call and you know that Jarrett is going to have something to complain about.

Commentary talks about the night but here is Jeff Jarrett to yell at Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race and Bob Armstrong over how a World Title shouldn’t be decided in a battle royal. Jarrett drops Funk and Armstrong so here are Jackie Fargo and Toby Keith to yell. Fargo says he’ll get Scott Hall to fight Jarrett next week. Hall runs in and brawls with Jarrett to end the show. They’re the biggest stars in the company but it’s not a great idea to put them out there just after crowning a new World Champion.

Overall Rating: C-. Oh this was a rough start, with only a few bright spots. The main event was good enough and the opener worked, but the obsession with the country/southern stuff and the dumb “comedy” tag teams were just bad. It’s not a show I’d want to keep watching, but in theory they were going for the idea of having no alternatives to WWE. Call it a case of anything being better than nothing, but egads they have a lot of work to do.

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