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NWA-TNA #4
07/10/2002 from Nashville, Tennessee, USA
One of TNA's biggest problems at the beginning, which would continue throughout it's whole existence, was lack of a unique identity. Simply put there was little to differentiate it from it's much larger competitor WWE. Later on they would try different match types, new concepts and ideas but none would really stick. I feel like that's true to this day. The company had a tendency to adopt some new stuff(gut check system, changes to x-division) only to abandon it shortly after.
But when this show aired in 2002, that was okay. It would have been smart to try to be different from the get go, but maybe there's something to be said about doing what the successful competition was doing. They could try to get their audience. The promotion was only a few weeks old, so there was still time to find it's own vision of professional wrestling.
So here we go with NWA-TNA weekly PPV #4. Was it worth the $9.95 they were asking for these things? I guess I'll find out.
This wrestling show starts with a wrestling match. What a novel concept. I wish WWE would do this once in a while on Raw, instead of always starting with a long Triple H promo. Mike Tenay says that this show is emanating from the TNA Dome. I feel like that is a bit too much of an embellishment, even for wrestling. You can lie about attendance but don't tell me that a regular sized arena is a dome.
Match #1: NWA Tag Team Championship Match
AJ Styles & Jerry Lynn(c) vs. Tempest & Slash(w/ Minister James Mitchell)
The Disciples Of The New Church have a new member this week, Crowbar! He's changed his name to Tempest, I guess because it sounds more evil. Lynn and Slash start out and they do some basic opening of the match wrestling stuff. Lynn hits a tornado bulldog for two. Slash goes for a powerbomb which Lynn turns into a facebuster for two. Styles tags in and they do a double team drop toe hold into a running swanton. Tempest tags in. Styles and Tempest do some technical wrestling stuff like arm drags and wrist locks. They do a lot of chops. Styles goes for a piledriver but is flipped over onto the apron then goes for a springboard dropkick. Styles and Lynn do some double team moves, leaving them outside the ring. Style goes for a flying cross body onto Slash and Tempest on the floor, but is caught. Lynn then does a tope con hilo on all three guys. Lynn hangs Tempest on the middle rope, and Styles does a lionsault onto him. Tempest hits a DVD on Styles. They work over Styles in the corner. They do a double chokeslam on Styles for two. Slash gives Styles the whirlybird. Slash misses a dropkick and is monkey flipped into Tempest. Lynn gets the hot tag and does his comeback. Tempest low blows Lynn. Tempest misses the DVD when Lynn sloppily lands on his feet. Lynn hits the Gotch piledriver and Styles tags himself in. Styles hits the Spinal Tap on Tempest for the pinfall. Pretty good match and a good opener to the show. ***1/4
After the match Lynn looks pissed at Styles. They tease tension between the two and they both stare at each other while Lynn walks to the back. It makes sense to split them up eventually but damn they just got together last fucking week. They are really rushing the break up, especially since there are a bunch of good dudes in the X division for Styles to face. They don't have to go right back to Lynn vs. Styles just yet.
The announce team recaps last week's events in the Jeff Jarrett/Scott Hall saga. They get a hold of Hall via telephone and he says that he is coming back to get revenge on Jarrett, K-Krush and Brian Christopher. It's good that Hall is off TV this week selling the beating he got.
Brian Christopher comes out and cuts a promo explaining his actions last week. There is a loud "you suck" chant. Christopher says that he is transitioning from being a child to a man. He says he wont be in his father's shadow any more and "screw Jerry Lawler". For those that don't know, Lawler is Christopher's real life father. He renounces the name "Brian Christopher" and now wants to be known as "Brian Lawler". This was a surprisingly good promo. Much like his father, Brian is super hateable. He just has such a hateable face.
Match #2: Brian Lawler vs. "Screamin'" Norman Smiley
They go back and forth a bit. At some point Smiley does the thing where he pretends to fuck his opponent in the ass. I feel like that's something you should never do in a wrestling match. There is a loud "Jerry's kid" chant and Lawler takes the time to look upset and pissed at the fans. Heels need to do that more these days rather than ignore crowd reactions. Lawler low blows Smiley in the corner right in front of the ref. Lawler goes up to hit the Hip Hop Drop, but before he does he throws his trademark goggles away. Nice touch. This match was fine for what it was. It was mostly there to build Lawler as a heel. After the match Lawler grabs the mic and gives a short promo saying that Hall is next. **
They cut to the back with Goldylocks trying to interview Jarrett. He is speaking with NWA Vice President Bill Behrens. He is under the impression that he is getting an NWA title shot tonight. Not sure why he thinks that because they announced Omori as the challenger last week. He is told that he is suspended because of what he did to NWA President Jim Miller last week. All during this there are dudes yelling in another room. We are told it's Mitchell yelling at his Disciples of the New Church stable members.
Time for this week's Nascar oriented segment. As K-Krush comes to the ring we get a recap of last week confrontation that led to his match with Hermie Sadler of Nascar. Krush cuts a promo saying how a race car driver has no place in a wrestling ring. He's right. He calls Nashville "Trashville" and all the fans assholes. I love how much Krush hates Nascar. Sadler comes to the ring with his pit crew.
Match #3: K-Krush vs. Hermie Sadler(w/ pit crew)
They start shoving each other back and forth, exchanging slaps. Krush lands a punch and then misses a spinwheel kick, crotching him on the top rope. Sadler knocks him onto the floor. They brawl outside the ring some. Back inside Sadler mounts Krush in the corner and lands some punches. Krush hits an axehandle kick. for a near fall. That probably should have been the end of the match. Krush hits a vertical suplex for another near fall. Krush hits a running power slam for yet another near fall. Krush puts Sadler in a figure four, and grabs the ropes for more leverage. Sadler reverses the figure four. They get up and Sadler reverses a frankensteiner into a power bomb. Eventually Krush pins Sadler with his feet on the middle rope for leverage. The ref reverses the decision after the match because Krush landed a cheap shot after the bell rang. This wasn't as bad as you'd expect and Sadler did more than I thought he would for a guy from a different sport, but I think the length of the match, even though it was only five minutes, strains credibility. *3/4.
They cut to Takao Omori getting ready for his NWA title match by doing some hindu squats. Omori was working for Pro Wrestling NOAH at the time, and today works for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Alicia comes up to him and asks for money. Omori looks for his wallet in his wrestling trunks for some reason, then goes to his gear bag and gives Alicia some money. This Alicia thing has been going on for too long without any new developments.
Match #3: The Hotshots(Cassidy & Chase) vs. The Briscoes(Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe)
It's weird seeing The Briscoes in singlets instead of in their #demboyz get up. These two teams have a nothing match as it all goes to a DQ when Malice interferes, laying everyone out alongside his fellow disciples . There was a gross bump by Mark onto the floor however, and a double drive by the Hotshots to the floor. Jay takes the hardest chokeslam ever from Malice. It seriously sounds like a cannon going off. Mitchell gives a promo, he is now referred to as Father Mitchell by Tenay. He says they wont leave the ring until they get NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ken Shamrock. Match was a DUD but only because it was there to just set up an angle instead of be a real match.
They decide to pass the time by beating up the time keeper. Before they can do so Ken Shamrock makes the save. The disciples with the numbers advantage are about to chokeslam Shamrock, but Omori comes out and makes the save. Thank God. Omori and Shamrock have a stare down.
Goldy is in the back with The Dupps. The Dupps cut a nonsensical promo for their match with the Flying Elvises. Bo Dupp says something about coon dogs. The other Dupp says some stuff about asking questions, dead men, and wearing shoes. Throughout all of this Goldy acts like The Dupps smell really bad. They probably did. Bo makes out with Fluff Dupp, his sister.
In the ring Jeremy Borash attempts to introduce The Dupps but some sexy music keeps playing. Out comes Jasmine St. Claire, formerly of ECW. Don West and Ed Ferrara act horny at the announce table. Poor Mike Tenay. Jasmine says she's been waiting three weeks to see some ass. I guess she missed the Cheex match from week two. She asks for a chair and proceeds to give Borash a lap dance. Once again Borash is swimming in poon this week. Bill Behrens comes out with a coat to cover Jasmine up but Ferrara gives him a spear. That's pretty hilarious. Behrens no sells it and covers Jasmine up anyway, dragging her off to the back. Borash was selling the shit out of that lap dance.
Match #4: The Dupps vs. The Flying Elvises(Sonny Siaki & Jorge Estrada)
During this match Mortimer Plumtree comes out to the announce table. He says all is well in The Plumtree/Johnson camp. Siaki hits a split legged moonsault for a two count. Bo hits a spine buster and a full nelson slam. Siaki does a pump handle suplex that looked cool. Estrada did a lionsault into a swanton for the pin. This wasn't much of a match. On commentary they played up the idea that the Elvises are being screwed out of X division matches because Jimmy Yang(who isn't here for this show) pinned Styles on the first TNA show. *1/2
Needlessly speeding up this break up even more, Styles and Lynn are seen brawling in the backstage area. They go back and forth but Lynn gets the upper hand. He lays Styles out with a Gotch piledriver on top of a road case. As he's leaving he calls Styles a "glory hound".
They show a tale of the tape for the NWA title match. I like when companies like Ring Of Honor do this. It gives an air of legitimacy which I feel is important in pro wrestling. Still I feel like they should have had Omori in for a few more matches to maybe get him over a little bit before putting hi in an NWA title match. Harley Race comes out to witness the match, another nice touch. There are also photographers from Japan(allegedly) to cover this match. For some reason Shamrock came out without his title.
Match #5: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Ken Shamrock(c) vs. Takao Omori
They do some punches and kicks. Eventually Shamrock does a triangle choke, but Omori gets to the ropes. Shamrock gets the early advantage. Omori then hits a spinwheel kick and a dropkick. Omori misses another spinkick and gets hung up on the turnbuckle. Shamrock takes Omori and chokes him on the top rope. Omori hits a swinging neckbreaker for two. Omori hits a full nelson slam. Omori goes up top for a knee drop but nobody's home. Shamrock then starts working the knee. Omori lands an Axe Bomber for two. Shamrock goes slaps on a knee bar but Omori gets a rope break. Lots of punches and kicks back and forth. Shamrock applies a Fujiwara arm bar and then transitions to an ankle lock. Jeff Jarrett then comes down and hits both guys with a chair for a DQ. The match was OK but it never really got going. It felt like they were just filling time until Jarrett's run in. **1/2
Harley Race comes in to fight Jarrett off, and takes an unprotected chair shot to the head. Seriously no one should do those, no matter what age you are. Security runs out but Jarrett fights them off. Shamrock takes an unprotected chair shot to the head and is laid out.
Match #5: 6-Man Elimination Match to determine NWA-TNA X Championship's #1 Contender
Low-Ki vs. Kid Romeo vs. Elix Skipper vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Tony Mamaluke
This match is to determine the #1 contender to the X title, so finally the champ will face someone coming off a win. It's done tag style with eliminations. Romeo and Daniels(making his first TNA appearence) start out with some basic wrestling stuff like arm drags. Skipper tags in and hits a spinwheel kick on Daniels. Daniels hits a short arm clothesline. Mamaluke tags in and him and Daniels double team Skipper.Skipper tags in Lynn. Lynn does a few variations of the back breaker including a tiltawhirl back breaker. Lynn tags in Ki. Ki gives Mamaluke some stiff kicks. Mamaluke hits a big back suplex on Ki. Mamaluke tags in Daniels.Daniels hits a big tiltawhirl slam on Ki. Ki tags Romeo.Daniels tags in Lynn. Lynn goes for a Gory bomb but is reversed into a sunset flip. Lynn tags in Daniels. Daniels misses a diving headbutt onto Romeo. Romeo tags Lynn in. Daniels sends Lynn to the floor and misses a baseball slide. Daniels hits a split legged moonsault to Lynn on the floor. There are dives by Romeo and Mamaluke to the guys on the floor. then Skipper and Ki do a double dive onto everyone. Back in the ring Lynn hits a guillotine leg drop on Daniels. Mamaluke knocks Lynn to the floor and he is counted out for the first elimination.
Skipper tags in and hits the Overdrive, or as he calls it The Play Of The Day on Mamaluke for another elimination. Ki comes in and they give each other some stiff as fuck chops. Skipper goes for the Play of the Day again but it's reversed into a running Ki Krusher into the turnbuckle for a near fall. Skipper did a cool Matrix type move to avoid a flying kick from Ki. It was like what Trish Stratus used to do.
Ki tags in Daniels. Daniels hits the Last Rites on Skipper for the elimination. Romeo tags in and dropkicks Ki off the apron. Romeo gets crotched on the top turnbuckle. Romeo hits a Kryptonite Crunch from the middle turnbuckle, for a near fall when Daniels puts his foot on the rope. Actually the ref counted to three but reversed it when he saw the foot on the rope. Ki tags in and puts the Dragon Clutch on Romeo for a tap out, leaving him and Daniels as the final two.
Daniels has been selling the Kryptonite Crunch by laying on the apron. Ki goes for a cover but Daniels gets his foot on the ropes again. They trade some stuff as hell chops in the corner. Ki seems like a real asshole when he makes literally every one of his strikes stiff in this match. Daniels goes for a moonsault but gets crotched on the top. He fights Ki off and regains his footing, hitting a great moonsault for two. 13 years later and he's still hitting the Best Moonsault Ever and isn't crippled like Mutoh or Kobashi which is pretty amazing. Daniels and Ki trade near falls. Daniels breaks the Dragon Clutch. Daniels hits a Fall From Grace for two. He goes for Last Rites again but it is reversed. Ki hits the Ki Krusher for the pin fall. Really good match with great action. Stuff like this is what made the X division great. ***1/2.
After the match the Flying Elvises come out and beat down Daniels and Ki. Siaki goes to the announce table and says the Elvises were screwed. They're right because they beat the would be champ in their first match and have yet to get any other opportunities. Why does TNA keep portraying the NWA as being unfair? Mamaluke, Skipper and Romeo come out to chase the Elvises away. Back to Graceland with you!
There's a little over two minutes left in the show at this point, so just enough time for some more Jarrett shenanigans! Jarrett comes to ringside and grabs a mic. He says he wants a title shot next week and screw the NWA and the Tennessee Titans(who had front row seats for this show). He gets in the Titans faces and two huge linebacker looking guys jump the barricade and destroy him. It seriously looks like Jarrett is being mauled by two bears. Then Mitchell, Malice and Tempest run down and attack Jarrett as well. Malice and Jarrett brawl into the crowd to end the show.
The first three weeks of TNA were a little rough around the edges to say the least. This show was much better. It was way better paced and the key matches got enough time(the 6-man match went about 25 minutes). Story lines moved forward in logical directions(even if some of them are sped up too much like Lynn and Styles). I'm eager to see what next week's show brings to the table.
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