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NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #40

April 16, 2003

Your hosts are Don West and Mike Tenay

A video recap of last week’s events start things off. This includes the alliance between Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes, the conflict between AMW, the feud between AJ Styles and Glen Gilbertti, David Young turning on Athena and joining SEX, Conflict between Kid Kash and Trinity, and Jeff Jarrett acting paranoid and accidentally knocking out Dusty Rhodes to close the show.
 
Tenay runs down the show which will include a tag-title match between XXX and Jerry Lynn/Amazing Red.

Dusty Rhodes is shown pacing the parking lot, awaiting the arrival of Jeff Jarrett

Raven is up in the Raven’s Nest. He introduces Alexis Laree and Julio Dinero then tells Jarrett that he will not allow him to turn TNA into an 80’s wrestling promotion. He says when he grew up, he threw away all his toys and that he should do the same. Crowd starts a “Raven Sucks” chant as Raven tells Jarrett that fate can be a cruel mistress then tells D’Lo Brown that he will be a victim of the “Raven Effect.” Solid stuff from Raven, who is easily the best on the mic in this promotion.


Raven w/Alexis Laree & Julio Dinero vs. D’Lo Brown
D’Lo is now a babyface but the crowd doesn’t care. They trade shoulderblocks as the crowd is jacked tonight. D’Lo sends him to the floor with a clothesline and follows that with a suicide dive, taking out everyone. Back in the ring, D’Lo fires away but charges and gets caught with a drop toehold and spills to the floor. Julio rolls him back in and Raven drives him to the mat with a knee for two. D’Lo blocks a DDT and hits a stunner as both men are down. D’Lo is up first ad hits a few clotheslines. Headshake leg drop gets two. He hits the side effect and heads up top. He hits the frog splash but Alexis distracts the ref and Julio hits D’Lo with a superkick. Raven rolls him up but he can only get two. The camera shows something in Julio’s hands as D’Lo collides with the ref. D’Lo tries a reverse rollup but Julio throws powder in his eyes. Alexis runs in but D’Lo hits her with the Sky High. He hits Julio with the catatonic as the ref is still out and Raven sits in the corner. Raven waits then hits the Evenflow DDT for the win (5:59) **1/2.
Thoughts: Good match that was all action. It was like watching a “Sunday Night Heat” match from 2002 except they went all out. Around this time, I recall that the WWE instituted the “More is less” policy regarding high impact moves and highspots. For this match, and really every other match on this card, they did the exact opposite. They are building nicely towards the title match between Raven and Jarrett for 4/30/03, which will be the biggest NWA-TNA title match to date. .

A video package on Raven airs.

Tenay tells us that he sat down with America’s Most Wanted before the show and it will air later on tonight. West then says that Glen Gilbertti will face AJ Styles in a street fight and Kid Kash will defend the X Division Title against Mike Sanders.

Goldylocks is in the SEX locker room. They are all in good spirits as Gilbertti proclaims that tonight will be their night. He says he will not be wrasslin’ AJ tonight but rather fighting. He orders Ron Harris to wrap a towel around his hand and punch him. After the first shot, he calls him a pussy and orders to hit him again. He does and this fires him up more for his match. Glenn Gilbertti + Being a badass = NO BUYS. 


Streetfight
Glen Gilbertti vs. AJ Styles
They start trading punches, with Gilbertti’s looking terrible. He hits AJ with a clothesline then knocks him to the floor. He drops AJ on the ring steps then whips him into them. He flings AJ over the guardrail then whips him into the railing. He does it again but AJ fights back and hiptosses Gilbertti into a wall. Mike Sanders comes out of the SEX locker room and roughs up AJ, who is now busted open. Gilbertti charges but AJ ducks a clothesline and hits a superkick. The match is slowing down as AJ fights out of a powerbomb and hits Gilbertti with a snap suplex. Sanders assaults AJ but D’Lo runs out and makes the save. The crowd isn’t really nito this match as AJ is wearing a crimson mask. Styles then runs and leaps over the guardrail, hitting Gilbertti with a forearm. Both men are now in the ring as the crowd wakes up. AJ hits a pumphandle gutbuster then goes out and grabs a chair. Gilertti ducks a chairshot but eventually runs into a spinning heel kick. AJ wedges the chair in the corner then rams Gilbertti face first off the chair. AJ hits him on the back with the chair as the crowd is solidly behind AJ. The chair is standing up and Gilbertti hits the chartbuster, dropping AJ’s throat across the chair, and he covers for the win (7:49) **1/4. The crowd groaned for that finish.
Thoughts: The action was fine but having Gilbertti go over AJ was a horrible decision. No one is buying him as a major threat, no matter how hard they try, and of all people to use to put him over, they use their most talented wrestler. The crowd took a giant shit on this finish.

Goldylocks interviews Dusty, who is still in the parking lot waiting for Jarrett. He says he will wait to Jarrett arrives as he wants to speak to him face-to-face. He puts over the prestige of the NWA Belt as Erik Watts walks by and calls Dusty the man as he wears a “Jeff, You’re Dead” shirt. Dusty yells at him then does Bret Hart’s “Best there is….” Routine. As Dusty turns his back, Erik throws his duffel bag off his head and threatens to whip him but Goldy runs over to Dusty and shields him. Dusty sold that duffel bag like it was filled with bricks.


X Division Championship Match
Kid Kash (Champion) w/Trinity vs. Mike Sanders
Before the match, Kash apologizes to Trinity and says that he will support her in whatever she does. Trinity accepts as the crowd boos. Kash hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors then sends Sadners to the floor with a clothesline. Trinity gets in the face of Sanders and gets pushed away as  aresult. In the ring, Sanders drops Kash throat first on the ropes. They go back and forth for a bit as Sadners hits a side slam off a tilt-a-whirl from Kash. The crowd is chanting loudly for TNA. Sanders gets two off a bunch of elbow drops. Snap suplex gets two. Sanders drives an elbow in the throat of Kash. Clothesline gets two. Sanders looks better than usual tonight by the way. After a pinfall reversal, both men clothesline each other. Trinity climbs up top but gets shoved down by Sanders. Kash gets caught in a wheelbarrow and Sadners tunrs it into a uranage in mid-move, getting two. Sanders runs into a boot and gets hit with a springboard twisting moonsault block for two. The ref checks on Kash, who has been legitimately hurt the past few weeks, as Trinity runs in and hits a few highspots. Kash tries a rana but Sanders catches him and flattens him with a powerbomb. Trinity hooks the leg of Sanders and that allows Kash to take him down. Kash goes to the other side of the ring and hits the springboard somersault kick for the win (7:07) **. The Harris Brothers run in and Kash flees. They grab Trinity and hit her with the H Bomb.
Thoughts: Sanders looked pretty good out there but Kash’s legit hurt knee is really hindering him. He blew a lot of spots. No one at all bought Kash’s apology to Trinity at the beginning of the match so they were not at all surprised when he left her alone to get beat up by SEX. After a week break, they are back to beating up women again on TNA.

Goldylocks is with the Disciples of the New Church. Mitchell tells Goldy that since Sandman rejected his offer of friendship and blames it on Perry Saturn. He references ECW a bunch of times and states he has a surprise waiting for Saturn tonight.

Saturn vs. Mike Awesome w/James Mitchell
Awesome is a lot heavier than usual here. Things start off with both men trading suplexes. Awesome hits a clothesline but eats boot on a charge. Saturn gets one off a clothesline. He hits an exploder then grabs a table fro underneath the ring .Awesome runs out and sends him into the guardrail as Tenay states that Jarrett has just arrived to the building. Awesome flies over the guardrail and hits Saturn with a clothesline. Saturn floats over on a powerbomb attempt and rolls Awesome into the ring. Legsweep by Saturn who applies a cross armbreaker. Awesome reaches the ropes but gets suplexed onto the ropes. Saturn charges but Awesome hits a shoulderblock, getting two. The crowd is dead for this match. Saturn hits a German suplex as both men are down. Saturn hits another German suplex then a springboard dropkick. Awesome gets a kick then drops Saturn across the ropes. He heads up top and hits a clothesline, getting two. Awesome is gassed. Saturn hits a superkick but gets slammed. Awesome goes back up top and hits a splash for two. Sandman and New Jack then run into the ring  and attack Awesome as the ref rings the bell for the DQ (7:54) *1/2. The New Church runs in and cleans house, with Lee looking disturbingly thin and not having slept for a week.
Thoughts: The crowd didn’t react much at all to Awesome, which was strange because they were loud all night loud, even though it was usually just a bunch of random “TNA” chants. Awesome was not in shape and the match suffered as a result. I guess Awesome is part of the New Church, taking the role previously held by Malice.

Goldylocks is with Jarrett, who is going nuts in the production truck, tossing shit all over the place. Jeff is still crazy and paranoid. 

Tenay shows his interview with AMW. He asks about them not being on the same page as Harris refutes that, stating he just asked for a few singles match. When asked about SEX, Harris says there is nothing wrong about talking with the guys as Storm says that he was brought up not to chill with the enemy. Harris goes on and on, with the point of this being that kayfabe is stupid and old. Harris seems to be getting worse on the mic.

Goldylocks is with David Young. She talks about his upcoming match with James Storm then about Athena. Siaki interrupts and calls Goldy “Goofylocks.” He says he has no time to wrestle a nobody like Storm. Young cuts a promo but gets interrupted by Siaki, who makes fun of his Southern twang and says that SEX is cool and he will now do is talking for him. There was no need for him to join the bloated SEX faction to begin with and they are already making fun of him.


David Young w/Sonny Siaki & Desire vs. James Storm
Both guys go back and forth, hitting fast-paced stuff. Storm dodges a baseball slide by skinning the cat and hits Young with a pescado. Storm hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors but runs into a powerslam. Back in the ring, Siaki tries to interfere but Storm fights out. Young hits a clothesline then gets two off a dropkick. They dodge each other kicks until Storm finally connects. He stomps Young in the corner but eats boot on a charge. Young tries to climb but is hit with a superkick and Storm takes him down with a top rope hurricarana. He hits a swinging neckbreaker but Young rolls through a crossbody block and gets two. Young blocks the Hanging Noose but Storm is able to hit the Eight Second Ride. Siaki pulls the ref out of the ring and tries to tell the ref that it was a fan and not himself who did this. Desire hits Storm with a low blow and Young his the spinebuster for the win (5:57) **.
Thoughts: This was all action. It didn’t get over much with the crowd but they tried hard. Harris did not show up as they tease even more friction between AMW.

A video package on the feud between the New Church and the ECW alumni. 

Goldylocks is with New Jack and Sandman, who are playing chess. There are several empties on the table. Sandman is royally fucked up here and can barely hold up his head or open his eyes. New Jack is shitfaced too. They both argue over the game and New Jack threatens to stab Sandman with a pen because he cheated. Shit, the drug scene seemed quite rampant in TNA at this time.


Disciples of the New Church w/James Mitchell vs. New Jack & Sandman
New Jack gets destroyed in the corner until Sandman comes in the ring. He takes Slash down with a tope rope rana. New Jack and Lee are brawling around the ring. Lots more sloppy brawling takes place. Slash chokes out Sandman with a cable then hits a helicopter slam for two. New Jack is biting Lee but gets tossed outside and put on a table. Sandman hits Slash with the cane as Mitchell is in the ring. Lee takes down Sandman with a big boot and they drive a sickle into the forehead of Sandman. Saturn runs out but he gets outnumbered. New Jack climbs up top with a chair and flattens Slash. Awesome runs out and everything breaks down. Awesome sends New Jack through the table with a powerbomb as the crowd chants “holy shit.” That was a crazy bump. They roll him inside and Slash covers for the win (6:14) ¼*. The lights then go out and when they return, Justin Credible is standing in the ring with a Singapore cane. He clears the ring of the New Church as the men celebrate with beer.
Thoughts: Dull stuff and the garbage brawling between these guys is starting to get really old. Adding Justin Credible, another recent WWE reject, to the group isn’t much at all but he can at least wrestle competently. Sandman and New Jack looked awful here.


Jarrett is outside the production truck yelling at the ring crew when Watts walks from behind him. Jarrett flips out and throws a trashcan at him, which is ducked by Watts. They get separated after that.


Tag-Team Championship Match
XXX vs. Amazing Red & Jerry Lynn
Red is now wearing a cape to the ring. Tenay states that Red is the best wrestler in TNA who has never won a belt. West also adds that XXX was irate over the fact that Tenay called Lynn & Red the “Dream Team” of the X Division. Lynn and Daniels start things out with a sequence of counters and reversals. Tenay says that Lynn and Red will face each other next week, with the winner beating the number one contender to the X Division title. Red and Skipper tag in as the crowd is cheering for Red, who lands on his feet after a German suplex attempt. Red hits a Mexican armdrag and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. He then hits Skipper with the 718 but is caught by Daniels after a springboard. Red escapes then puts on a armbreaker after a tilt-a-whirl. All four men are in the ring now as Lynn alley-oops Red onto Daniels and he hits a rana. Skipper hooks the leg of Lynn and Daniels hits him with a dropkick. Leg lariat by Daniels and a tag to Skipper, who hits a twisting slingshot splash for two. Lynn manages a rollup in the corner for two. They do some counters and float-overs until Skipper hits an inverted suplex for two. Tag to Daniels but Lynn ducks a double team move and hits a double clothesline. He makes the hot tag to Red, who hits Skipper with a missile dropkick. He hits both men with spinkicks then gets his swinging STO on Daniels. All four men are once again brawling in the ring. Lynn backdrops Daniels to the floor, who takes out his own partner. Lynn takes them out with a springboard somersault plancha and Red then takes them out with a somersault tope. The crowd is going nuts at this point as this match has been great. Daniels sends Lynn into the guardrail as Skipper and Red are in the ring. Red gets two off a knee smash but he gets killed by a clothesline from Daniels, who yells at the camera “That’s amazing.” Daniels hits a suplex then gets two after a split-legged moonsault. He suplexes Red on the ropes and tags Skipper, who takes him off with a legdrop. Skipper pauses then covers Red, getting two. He tears off the bandana of Red and chokes him out. Red comes back with a rana as Skipper uses the matrix to get up. Red hits the Code Red but Daniels breaks up the pin attempt with a dropkick. Skipper slams Red then puts on a single leg crab. Red gets double-teamed and Daniels puts him in the Koji Clutch. West is amazed that Tenay can remember the names off holds in a match like this. Red fights back with kicks and makes the tag to Lynn. Lynn cleans house then plants Skipper with a tornado DDT, getting two. Lynn puts Daniels on his shoulders and Red hits a springboard rana in an amazing spot. Skipper breaks up the pin attempt at two. Red climbs the top rope but Skipper distracts the ref and the masked lucahdor comes in and shoves Red off the ropes then hits him with a DDT on the ramp. Daniels rolls up Lynn and puts his feet on the ropes but can only get two. Angel’s Wings gets two. Tag to Skipper and he places Lynn across his shoulders as Daniels comes off the top with an elbow and that only gets two. Daniels yells at the ref then heads up top but Lynn takes down Skipper and catapults him into Daniels and that allows Lynn to rollup and bridge Skipper for the win and the tag-team belts (14:15) ****1/4. After the match, XXX attacks the new champs until Jarrett comes out and takes them out with a trashcan lid.

Thoughts: Awesome match. Everything went smoothly and the story of XX wanting to prove that they were the best of the X division worked quite well. It will be interesting to see where they go from here as Red and Lynn face off next week for the right to face the X Division champ, Kid Kash.


Jarrett grabs the mic and tells Raven that this is Jarrett’s House of Clockwork Orange. He tells Raven he has three seconds to get Julio and Alexis to the ring as the crew is setting up for the Clockwork Orange House of Fun match. He goes to the locker room looking for Raven but gets hit with a trashcan lid from Alexis. Jarrett takes it from her and whacks her on top of the head. Julio comes out and he gets destroyed. He tosses a dozen or so chairs at Julio then heads to the ring. Julio and Alexis fight back as the bell rings.

Clockwork Orange House of Fun Match
Jeff Jarrett vs. Alexis Laree & Julio Dinero
Laree and Dinero beat on Jarrett in the stands. Julio tosses him over the guardrail and Alexis hits Jarrett with a trashcan lid. Julio beats on Jarrett with a kendo stick and Alexis uses a baseball bat. Julio puts him in an abdominal stretch as Alexis hits him with the kendo stick. He stomps Jarrett and they beat on some more. Jarrett fights back and powebombs Alexis onto Julio. He beats on him with the kendo stick then uses it on Laree. He nails Julio with the trashcan and then with the steel cage door. He hiptosses Laree into the door then hits a running powerslam but takes out the ref in the process. Jarrett sets up a table and places Laree on top. He grabs a chair and uses it on Julio then puts him on the table. Jarrett heads up top and grabs atrashcan lid but rAven coems out and hits him with a lid then suplexes him on the table. Julio ends up falling on top of Julio and gets the pin (6:11) *1/2. After the match, Raven hits him with the Evenflow DDT as the crowd starts a “Raven sucks” chant.
Thoughts: This was worked well, although having a face beat up a girl seems foolish. Raven won this battle and has some momentum heading into the championship match in two weeks.


Final Thoughts: The show itself was good. The matches were solid for the most part. However, with very few clear-cut heels and faces, you don’t have much at all in terms of building feuds for the future. I will say that they have done a great job of building up to the Raven/Jarrett match. However, SEX is completely played out and watching the ex-ECW guys is just sad as they are broken down or in some cases, completely messed up on substances.

Comments

  1. The X Division really was the thing that kept this company alive when it started. Kinda sad to see how it is today.

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