Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #52
Date: 7/9/2003
From: Nashville, TN
Scott Hudson opens the show with Jeff Jarrett who is in the arena ignoring doctors orders to stay away from the venue. Jarrett isn’t providing a medical update to his health and warns both Vince Russo and Joe Legend to be prepared because it’s “batter up.”
Opening Contest: NWA-TNA World Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: Swinger and Harris kick off the title match. Swinger back elbowed Harris and tagged in Diamond who misses a dropkick but nails Harris with a clothesline after Swinger got clotheslined on the apron. Harris takes Diamond down with a Thez Press to hammer away on the challenger. Storm gets knocked off the apron and distracts the referee to allow a double team on Harris. Diamond works over Harris with a series of snap suplexs for a near fall. Harris takes out the challengers and makes the tag to Storm but the referee didn’t see it. Harris continues to be worked over by the heels in the corner. Swinger runs into a big boot and Harris clotheslines Diamond. Storm tags in and drops the heels with clotheslines and backdrops. Storm takes Swinger out with a slingshot cross body on the floor and a top rope cross body on Diamond for a near fall. Storm nearly pins Swinger following a super kick. Storm plants both men with a double DDT! Harris gets the tag and the champs hit the Hart Attack but no cover is made due to the referee being out of position. Swinger hits the Swinger Stinger but Harris kicks out at two. Swinger is sent into Diamond in the corner to crotch Simon on the top rope. Storm hits a top rope hurricanrana on Diamond but only gets a near fall on the cover. Swinger is super kicked by Storm and they signal for the Death Sentence. Harris is not he top but Glen Gilbertti shoves Harris off to the floor! Storm has a rollup but Diamond kicks out and Storm is met with a chair shot from Gilbertti! Swinger covers Storm after a double STO but Storm kicks out! Harris spears Swinger as the challengers attempted the Hart Attack and Harris pins Swinger as Storm tossed Diamond away! (***. A good opener that the fans appeared to be invested in. A good debut for Diamond and Swinger as challengers for the titles. Storm and Harris are really starting to find a groove as tag champions.)
Joe Legend makes his way down to the ring acting like Vince Russo and eventually called out Jeff Jarrett, but instead we got Vince Russo dressed in the old Double J outfit. That is rather humorous to me. Russo ends up demanding that Legend drop his pants so he can kiss his white ass, but the real Jeff Jarrett comes out and brawls with Legend in the crowd. They eventually return to the ring where Legend sends Jarrett into a chair in the corner causing Jarrett to be busted open. Jarrett fights back with a chair to fight off Legend and Russo and puts the figure four on Russo until Legend used a guitar on Jarrett. That led to Jarrett getting beaten up some more and Jerry Jarrett came out to check on his son.
Backstage, NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Chris Sabin claims that he is the future of TNA and not Frankie Kazarian. Sabin also reminds us that Kazarian has been on a losing streak as of late.
Second Contest: Kid Romeo vs. Matt Sydal vs. Altar Boy Luke vs. Delirious vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Matt Stryiker in a elimination match: Delirious and Stryker kick off the match. Stryker drives Delirious down to the canvas with a spine buster. Delirious plays of his wackiness by running around ringside as Kazarian tags in to get a near fall on Delirious. Luke tags in and Delirious hits a missile dropkick. Sydal was tagged and he hits a springboard cross body for a near fall. Romeo takes Sydal out with a slingshot clothesline from the apron. Sydal stands on Romeo’s back and hits a shooting star press for a two count. Romeo takes Sydal over with a head scissors out of the corner and a release overhead suplex for a near fall. Kazarian slams Sydal and hits a slingshot leg drop for a two count. Stryker enters and drops Kazarian across the top rope. Delirious takes Stryker out with a suicide dive on the floor. Luke takes three guys out with a somersault dive. Romeo trips Sydal from the floor to prevent a dive from taking place but he hits a springboard cross body. Sydal heads to the top and takes everyone out with a moonsault!
Sydal dropkicks Stryker for a near fall. Romeo hits a backpack driver and eliminates Sydal. Luke hits the Holy Driver on Romeo and a moonsault to get a near fall on Romeo. Romeo plants Luke with a wheelbarrow bulldog. Kazarian tags in to work over on Luke. Delirious sunset flips Kazarian who power bombs Luke as well. Kazarian hits a yakuza kick on Delirious. Kazarian pins Delirious and here comes Stryker to hammer away on Frankie but misses a moonsault. Romeo tags in and Stryker works over Romeo with strikes a heel kick. Romeo hits a middle rope backpack driver to eliminate Stryker. Kazarian hits a springboard back elbow on Romeo. Kazarian reverses the driver and hits the Wave of the Future to win the match. (**1/2. Romeo was rather impressive and had me wondering how he never amounted to anything more. Kazarian winning this was obvious. A decent match with a few high spots, but the spots have been done to death so it’s nothing new or refreshing.)
Third Contest: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian: Sabin works over Frankie’s injured ribs. Sabin sends Kazarian rolling into the ring post and pulls Frankie into the post for more punishment. Sabin drops Frankie across the railing gut first and hits an axe handle. Kazarian fights back with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Kazarian continues with swinging neck breaker. Sabin blocks a cross body on the floor by having Frankie land across his knee. Sabin hits a springboard looking for a sunset flip but Kazarian kneels down for a near fall. Sabin hits a buckle bomb in the corner and the Future Shock to win the match. (*1/2. Kazarian never came across has having a shot here, so the segment didn’t deliver that overcoming the odds feeling they were going for.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson provides an update on Jeff Jarrett saying he has suffered more internal injuries and an ambulance was on the way. Joe Legend and Vince Russo come over and attacked Jarrett yet again.
There is a segment in the ring between Lollipop, Nurse Veronica and April Pennington which led to a brawl but was pulled apart by management.
Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with James Mitchell. Mitchell said he associated himself with Shane Douglas so he could get to Raven and talked about a time in ECW when an explosive device blew up in his hand causing burns. Mitchell says that Raven doesn’t have any self-control and that’s why he has become a filthy, dirty scumbag. James is going to make Raven feel his wrath and know what real pain and suffering is like.
Fourth Contest: Julio Dinero vs. Shane Douglas: Dinero hammers away on Douglas to start the match hitting a heel kick. Dinero shoves Shane’s own t-shirt down his throat and hits a vertical suplex. Douglas has a sleeper hold on Dinero until Julio hits a spinning slam and a back heel trip for a near fall. Dinero chokes Douglas on the apron before hitting a full nelson slam for a two count. Dinero takes Douglas out with a cross body on the floor. Alexis Laree distracts Douglas to allow Dinero to leap off the ring steps to splash onto Douglas. Douglas drops Dinero across the ring steps. Douglas hits a snap power slam on Dinero for a near fall. Dinero hits a middle rope elbow drop and backdrops Douglas. Dinero super kicks Douglas after Shane hit the ring post. Douglas stops Julio with a low blow but Laree hits a tornado DDT which gets Dinero a near fall. Douglas sends Dinero into Laree and hits the belly to belly to win the match. (*1/4. That match did not do a good job of establishing Douglas a main heel for the company. Having trouble with a low card act doesn’t sell me on Douglas and his new role.) After the match, James Mitchell tosses a fireball into Alexis Laree’s face!
Outside, Vince Russo and Joe Legend knock Jeff Jarrett of his stretcher.
Fifth Contest: Shark Boy vs. Don Harris: Shark Boy knocks Ron off the apron but is met with a choke slam which gets Don the victory. After the match, H-Bomb for Shark Boy and they rip off his mask. However, he was wearing a second mask, so the joke is on them.
BG James, Konnan and Ron Killings continue their trend of making fun of people. They poke fun at Disco Inferno, Juventud Guerrera and Kid Romeo along with Stephanie McMahon and Sable wrestling at Vengeance on pay per view.
Sixth Contest: Jerry Lynn vs. Kid Kash: Early on, Lynn takes Kash to the mat as they have a mat wrestling focus to start the bout. Lynn clotheslines Kash to the floor where Kash goes to stall. Lynn arm drags Kash and hits a tilt a whirl back breaker for a two count. Kash bails to the floor again to get a breather. Lynn chases after Kash on the floor and avoids Abyss. Kash attempts a slingshot suplex but Lynn gets a near fall on a rollup. Abyss catches Lynn on the floor on a suicide dive attempt to hit a back breaker. Kash slams Lynn to the canvas for a near fall. Kash uses the claw on Lynn but that doesn’t have much of an impact. Lynn drives Kash to the canvas face first for a near fall. Kash misses a top rope somersault dive and crashes to the mat. Lynn attempts the TKO and hits it but Abyss slides in to attack Lynn as the referee is out of position. Lynn dropkicks Abyss but the big man isn’t moving. Lynn hits a tornado DDT. Lynn low blows Kash and hits a top rope hurricanrana on Abyss! Justin Credible nails Lynn with a kendo stick and Kash gets the pin on Lynn. (*1/2. The interference didn’t do anything for me here. These two can have a great match but weren’t given the chance to do so this week.)
Mike Tenay put Sandman over as one of the greatest hardcore wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring. He presents Sandman with the Hard Ten trophy. Sandman puts three beers in the trophy and drinks from it. Sandman celebrates with fans until Don Callis came out with Edward Chastaine to attack Sandman. Callis prevents Chastaine from using a trash can and instead dumps the trophy into the trash can.
Part two of Mike Tenay’s sit down interview with Sting is aired next. Sting says his favorite opponent was Ric Flair and match was with Flair at Great American Bash 1990. He put over Roddy Piper as a talented performer and said Ultimate Warrior was bizarre. Sting noted that Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan were great chess players in reference to the business and says there will never be another Hulk Hogan. Sting has also stopped paying attention to the internet.
Backstage, Trinity lets us know that AJ Styles isn’t in the mood to speak and thanks Vince Russo for making her realize she didn’t need the fans.
Main Event: NWA-TNA World Champion AJ Styles vs. D’Lo Brown: Vince Russo has been put inside a small cage and is at the top of the aisle way. Style goes towards Russo trying to get Russo out but Brown sends AJ head first into the cage before they enter the ring. Brown scoop slams Styles but AJ blocks a leg drop by getting his arms up. Styles knee lifts Brown in the midsection but Brown drops the champ with a back suplex. Brown spears Styles into the guard railing. Styles slides under the railing to avoid being sent into the railing but is clotheslined by Brown in the front row. Brown hits a slingshot from the apron for a two count. Styles misses a clothesline and Brown gets a two count following an ace crusher. Styles dropkicks D’Lo’s knee and takes D’Lo over with a hurricanrana. Styles drops Brown with a spinning heel kick. Brown is punched to the floor and Styles hits a dive over the top to the floor. Brown hits a double leg slam out of the corner.
Brown drops Styles with a few strikes and clotheslines. Brown backdrops Styles and hits a spine buster. Trinity hits a top rope dive onto Brown and Styles only gets a near fall. Styles accidentally hits the referee with a kick and Brown plants AJ with a sit out spine buster. Brown comes off the top to hit the frog splash. Sonny Siaki comes in from behind to whack Brown with a cane and a swinging neck breaker. Styles hits a top rope frog splash to win the match. After the match, Brown is put inside the small cage and is tipped over by Russo who flips out on the cage to end the program. (**1/4. It was alright, but the continued trend of constant interference really hurts match quality. It’s difficult to boo AJ Styles or hate him when he is just so talented and does incredible moves. That’s likely why he is with Russo to get some actual heel heat. Anyway, it was an average main event as the feud between Brown and Siaki looks to continue.)
Final Thoughts:
Nothing on the show is overly memorable though the opening tag match was a fun match, but it’s nothing you’d have to go out and see. Since there isn’t anything all that entertaining this show doesn’t get a recommendation from me.
Thanks for reading.