March 19, 2003
Hacksaw is in the ring, giving a pro-USA speech about war then leads crowd into the “Pledge of Allegiance.” After that, Duggan says his kids asked him if they are safe and he did not know how to answer them and says it is the land of the free, and the home of the brave before saying they are behind the troops 100%.
A video recap is shown of various clips from the past few weeks including Brian Lawler, David Flair, and Erik Watts attacking Jeff Jarrett. Also shown, are clips from the Russo interview from two weeks ago where he announced that he was leaving pro wrestling and AJ Styles attacking Jarrett. Glen Gilbertti is shown leading SEX and D’Lo Brown debuting in TNA.
Your hosts are Don West and Mike Tenay
SEX members Sonny Siaki and the Harris Brothers are heading into the ring, led by Glen Gilbertti. He calls out D’Lo Brown, saying that he wants to correct a mistake from last week and that they both share a mutual friend, Vince Russo. D’Lo heads to the ring, holding a chair and looking suspicious. Siaki apologizes for last week but D’Lo remains skeptical. Gilbertti’s mic cuts off for several seconds then says how he heard him talk about the glass ceiling in the WWE but that in TNA, there is a concrete ceiling made by Jeff Jarrett, who he refers to as a “paranoid schizophrenic.” He tries to convince D’Lo that Jarrett is up to no good and that he trying to be his friend and will end up stabbing him in the back, like he did to Vince Russo, and that SEX will offer him true friendship and asks him to reconsider the offer to join. Jarrett’s music hits and he says that if D’Lo believes Gilbertti, then he will believe that Vince McMahon just got off the phone with him and is now ready to make him a star. He asks D’Lo to trust him, who says trusting people for several years have gotten him nowhere and that he wants his title shot. Jarrett says that he seems to want a handout then Jarrett is attacked by Watts , Lawler, and Flair. D’Lo helps Jarrett and SEX beats on Jarrett when he is rolled into the ring. Dusty Rhodes then AMW run out and they all continue to brawl in the ring. SEX gains the upper hand until Ron Killings comes out and cleans house. He hugs Jarrett and raises his hand. Good segment and Gilbertti shined on the mic.
Tenay and West plug tonight’s matches, AJ Styles vs. Raven in another number one contender match and Jarrett & D’Lo & Dusty vs. Lawler & Flair & Watts (now called the NWA Next Generation)
Raven gives an interview in an empty ring from earlier tonight. He calls out AJ for interfering with his fate and bangs on tables with a Singapore Cane. There is also a ladder in the ring. The same as every other interviewer Raven has done in TNA.
NWA-TNA Tag-Team Championship Match
Disciples of the New Church w/James Mitchell vs. XXX (Champions)
Fans start up with the “Evil” chants. Low Ki and Skipper are representing XXX tonight. New Church clears the ring of XXX then take them out with planchas. They continue to beat them up on the outside. In the ring, Lee is beating on Ki and he tosses him back outside. Slash and Skipper are now in the ring as Lee is beating up Ki and Daniels on the outside. The action finally stays in the ring as Ki attacks Slash from behind. They double-team him for a bit the use quick tags. They use some cool double team moves and taunt Lee as the fans start to chant “Evil.” Slash catches Ki off the top then folds him up after turning a rana attempt into a sitout powerbomb. Slash makes the hot tag and Lee runs wild. Skipper and Lee botch an Irish whip then Lee catches him with a slam. Slash tags but Skipper distracts him to hitting their finisher. Lee tosses Ki into the ref and goes for a tombstone but Daniels comes off the top and uses the belt. Slash hits Daniels with the bicycle kick then counters a Play of the Day attempt from Skipper. Helicopter slam on Ki but the ref is still out. Skipper hits Slash with the belt then gets the Play of the Day onto the belt. The ref awakes and starts counting but Malice runs in and powerbombs Daniels and Skipper before hitting Ki with a chokeslam. He also chokeslams the ref and the match is ruled as a DQ, with XXX getting the win (10:06) ***
Thoughts: Good match and the return of Malice seems interesting (although he did not appear again). Between these teams and America
Mike Tenay is with Erik Watts from an interview that took place earlier today. He talks about how everyone knows his accomplisments then blames everyone for holding him back in wrestling, as they we all mad that his dad fired them. Watts says that Tenay is the “Barbara Walters of Pro Wrestling” then compares himself to Michael Jackson and this question to when he held his kid over the railing and wore a mask. He tells Tenay to wear a nicer jacket next time. Not the greatest interview as the fans do not remember 1992 like it was yesterday and no one ever cared about Erik Watts that much to begin with.
Goldylocks is in the SEX locker room as Gilbertti is berating the other members. Sanders comes in and mocks Siaki, prompting Gilbertti swears at him, with the words bleeped out, then calls Holly Wood a slut and orders her to show us Athena’s boobs tonight. More dissention between SEX.
The Interrogators ssegment with Tenay and West. Konnan is the guest. He is pretty funny, refers to Bischoff as an asshole and says AJ Styles can toss his salad and peel his potatoes. Tenay then asks him about the Luchadores win/loss record against the X Division, which causes Konnan to go off and storm out.
Konnan & Juventud Guerrera vs. Jason Cross & Jerry Lynn
Juvy and Lynn start out. They exchange a bunch of moves and end in a standoff. Juvy backs Lynn Lynn Lynn
Thoughts: Disappointing match. Juvy and Lynn did not work well here and Cross looked bad. He should probably change his finisher (shooting star leg drop) as he has nearly broken his leg the last few times he tried the move. Konnan blew up after a few minutes and was really gassed at the end.
Video package of last week’s confrontation between Amazing Red and Kid Kash and Trinity.
Goldylocks is with Kid Kash and Trinity. She brings up ho she plays a key role in his success. Kash says he is the champ and will not allow Trinity to talk. Red interrupts and says he has no respect for him and wants to wrestle Trinity. Kash calls him a little prick and says Red suggests a three-way match. They are establishing Kash as a heel, having him act cocky and disrespectful towards Trinity.
Glen Gilbertti & Mike Sanders vs. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan & Moondog Spot
Gilbertti and Sanders jump Duggan before Spot is announced. They take it into the ring until Spot waddles out, with his bone in his hand. Gilberrti asks Tenay if this is a joke (having to wrestle Spot and Duggan) then calls him an asshole before storming off. Sanders is in the ring and Duggan pins him with a knee drop (1:56) DUD.
Thoughts: Terrible, but at least it was short. They certainly jobbed out Sanders here. The kneedrop that finished the match was the lamest thing I have ever seen.
Tenay breaks the news that the three-way between Kid Kash, Trinity, and Amazing Red will take place tonight.
Goldylocks is with the New Church
X Division Championship Match
Amazing Red vs. Kid Kash (Champion) vs Trinity
Kash and Trinity argue before the match. Kash alley-oops Red, who dropkicks Trinity out of the ring. Red gets a springboard elbow drop on Kash for two. Kash takes the advantage and works a Boston Crab before turning it into a slam. Kash chops Red as the camera shows Trinity slowly getting up. Red gets a legsweep and hits the Red Star Press. Trinity gets on the apron but Red reverses an Irish whip and sends Kash into her, knocking her back to the floor. The crowd is dead for this. Kash hits an enziguiri then gets the coast-to-coast dropkick for two. That looks like it hurt him more than his opponent. Bank Roll gets two. Kash yells at the ref before heading up top. Red cuts him off and goes up but Kash hits a low blow and goes for a super powerbomb. Red turns that into a rana in mid-move then goes up top but gets knocked off by Trinity. She hits him with a top rope rana then a tornado DDT. She goes back up top but Kash rolls up Red then hits a German suplex for the win (5:55) *3/4.
Thoughts: At least this was booked well, with Trinity staying out of the match until the end so she can hit her moves. Trinity has yet to work a long match in TNA and has just been using highspots.
Goldylocks is outside the locker room waiting to hear from Jarrett, who can be heard arguing with D’Lo.
Video package of the NWA Next Generation attacking Jarrett and Dusty.
David Flair & Brian Lawler & Erik Watts vs. Jeff Jarrett & D’Lo Brown & Dusty Rhodes
Flair angers Tenay by placing is replica NWA belt on the announcers table. Lawler, wearing his Ecko Unlimited pants, starts off with Brown. D’Lo hits a few atomic drops and works in some of his signature moves. Lawler rakes the eyes then dances before running into a spinebuster. D’Lo beats on everyone then hits the Sky High for two. Flair tags and D’Lo hits a few armdrags. Flapjack gets two as Watts breaks it up. He tags in but D’Lo gets a drop toehold and works the leg. Watts gets out and hits a chokeslam. The heels beat on D’Lo behind the ref’s back for a bit. Flair tags and gets a suplex before tagging Lawler. He hits a superkick and a clothesline and tags Watts . He taunts D’Lo, who fights back but he ends up getting suplexed on the ropes. Several fans start a “We want Jarrett” chant, which infuriates Lawler. D’Lo catches Lawler with the catatonic and both men are down. Hot tag to Jarrett and he destroys everyone. Dusty comes in and they toss Watts to the floor. Dusty continues his assault outside of the ring and Jarrett hits Flair with the Stroke for the win (8:25) *1/2. D’Lo heads to the back as Ron Killings comes in to celebrate then powerbombs Jarrett, who was standing on the turnbuckle. He hits him with another powerbomb as Watts grabs a rope and puts a noose around Jarrett’s neck. He beats him all around the arena and throws him through the doors. In the ring, Lawler and Flair beat on Dusty. Watts is then shown tying Jarrett to the back of his SUV as Tenay and West are going nuts on commentary. Watts teases driving away then tells Jarrett he has something better to do and they drive away.
Thoughts: The match wasn’t as bad as you would think. Luckily, Lawler worked a majority of the match, which is all you need to know about the wrestling ability of Watts and Flair. Watts , who needed to look like a star in the ring, was terrible and wrestled in a shirt. Flair looks as anxious and lost as ever inside of the ring. The post match stuff was fine, Watts really does come of well in the backstage stuff, and it will be interesting to see where Killings goes from here.
The New Church Hollywood
Don West runs down next week’s show, including:
New Church & mystery partner vs. XXX & Harris Brothers
Jerry Lynn vs. Konnan
Video package of the Raven/AJ Styles feud.
Number One Contender’s Hardcore Ladder Match
Raven vs. AJ Styles
AJ attacks Raven from behind. He hits him hard with the trashcan on the head a few times. He places Raven on the ladder, which is leaning against the second rope, and hits a double springboard moonsault. He hits Raven with his drop toehold spot then uses him as an ottoman. AJ DDT’s Raven on the chair and climbs up the ladder. Raven stops him by throwing a chair at him then picks up the ladder and swings it around. He continues to use the ladder as a weapon then slams the trashcan li over his head, busting AJ open. Raven puts AJ’s leg between the ladder and stands on it until AJ uses the trshcan lid to break it up. AJ flings the ladder in his face, as Raven is now bleeding from his forehead. AJ uses the lid some more, laying into Raven. He heads up top again as Raven fights him off. AJ hits a rana off the ladder and goes back up but Raven picks him up and throws him on the ropes. He uses a staple gun and hits AJ a few times then slams him with the lid. Outside the ring, Raven sets up a table then pulls AJ out from the ring. AJ fights back with a superkick and lays Raven on the table. He hits him with the lid and climbs the top rope. Just as AJ is about to jump, Raven pulls the ref on top of him and AJ hits a leg drop. AJ goes to climb the ladder but Gilbertti runs out to interfere. AJ fights him off for a bit but Gilbertti ends up powerbombing him through a table on the floor. Raven get up and sets up the ladder and grabs the contract (10:38) ***1/4.
Thoughts: Good match. Gilbertti really killed AJ with that powerbomb. Raven hasn’t really been aligning himself with SEX lately but Gilbertti made the save anyway. Raven is the number one contender to for the heavyweight belt.
Final Thoughts: Not a bad show. There were some good interviews and matches that took place, although the lack of talent is what’s holding this promotion back. The storylines are fine now but Flair, Lawler, and Watts should not be near the top of the card. A Raven vs. Jarrett match sounds promising, whenever it will take place, and Killings turning is interesting, along with the allegiance of D’Lo Brown. The X Division is in need of new blood too and that will be coming in within the next few months.
Comments
Post a Comment