Written By: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV#3
Date: 7/3/2002
From: Nashville, Tennessee
NWA-TNA Opening Video
Mike Tenay, Don West and Ed Ferrera promote what is scheduled to be on this weeks show. Shamrock faces Malice for the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship while AJ Styles defends the NWA-TNA X Division Championship against David Young. They also promote the tag team main event when Jeff Jarrett and K-Krush take on Brian Christopher and Scott Hall. Jim Wilson the NWA president joins the announcers. Wilson tells Tenay that he has a surprise for them regarding new talent. Wilson gives Tenay a trophy and welcomes TNA into the NWA family. Wilson says that Omaori will face the winner of Shamrock/Malice match.
Opening Contest: James Storm/Chris Harris defeated The Johnsons (Richard and Ron) in a NWA-TNA World Tag Team Title Tournament Match: Before the match, Mortimer Plumtree cuts a promo saying that the Johnsons will win the tag team gold tonight. Both teams get in a decent amount of offense in during the contest. Johnsons display some good moves and showcase their strength throughout the contest. Harris is caught going for a cross body, but Storm dropkicks his partner Harris onto Ron to pick up the win. *
After the match, Plumtree begins to shove his guys and insult them. Johnsons shove Plumtree down and Plumtree is left in the ring crying.
Jeremy Borash introduces Scott Hall who makes his way down to the ring to a good reaction from the crowd. Hall only gets to say “Hey Yo” until Jeff Jarrett cuts him off. Jarrett insults Hall by calling him a “bitch”. Hall doesn’t think Jarrett can back up his talk. Hall wants Jarrett to come to the ring. Jim Wilson cuts Jarrett off and tells Jarrett to listen to the NWA officials. As Jarrett leaves, K-Krush comes in and attacks Hall. Hall battles back with a fall away slam and a clothesline sending Krush to the floor.
Backstage, Goldylocks is in Chris Harris and James Storm locker room where we see James Storm has been beaten up severely.
Second Contest: Monty Brown defeated Anthony Ingram: Brown makes it known that he is coming for Ken Shamrock and championship. Brown finishes the match following the Alpha Bomb in a simple squash match. DUD
Backstage, Goldylocks is talking to security looking for Jim Miller. She can’t find him anywhere. The Hot Shots walk by and they don’t know where he is either. Puppet the Psycho Dwarf comes over and cuts a promo on midgets and wanting midget blood. Puppet calls out a few celebrity midgets before walking away.
Before the next contest, Goldylocks is with Buff Bagwell and Apolo. Bagwell plans on making himself a seven time tag team champion with his sixth different partner. Bagwell says he is number one while Apolo is number two. Bagwell is acting like a heel tonight. He refers to Apolo as “number two” quite a few times.
Third Contest: Rainbow Express (Lenny Lane and Bruce) w/Joel Gertner defeated Buff Bagwell/Apolo in a NWA-TNA World Tag Team Title Tournament Match: Considering the promo, I’m surprised to see Bagwell and Apolo come out to Apolo’s music. During the contest, Alicia comes out again and Ed Ferrera hands over some money to her. Rainbow Express manage to control Apolo for a few moments. Late in the match, Bagwell nails Bruce with the Blockbuster but is nailed with the super kick by Lane to pick up the win for his team. *
After the match, Bagwell is left in the ring shaking his head as Apolo just leaves him. Ed Ferrera walks over to Buff Bagwell who is talking to himself. Buff wants to be known as Marcus and not Buff anymore. Bagwell puts himself over and mentions how he just got beaten by two gay guys. Bagwell says he is done and is going home. He says that Buff has ruined his career and gives Ed his hat. Bagwell walks to the back.
Jeremy Borash introduces the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Ken Shamrock who gets a decent reception. Shamrock says he is confused and mentions Monty Brown. Shamrock doesn’t get how Brown wants a championship match while he has had one match in NWA-TNA. Shamrock mentions Malice and Omori and the possibility of defending against Monty Brown. James Mitchell is standing in the crowd and tells Shamrock he needs to worry about Malice and nobody else. Lights come back on and Malice has attacked Shamrock on the entrance ramp.
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Bill Behrens who is on the phone. Jerry Lynn tells Behrens he can find a partner and take the place of James Storm and Chris Harris. Behrens tells Lynn to get away from him.
Fourth Contest: Puppet defeated Todd Stone in a hardcore match: Puppet just beats the living crap out of Stone through out the match. Puppet slams Stone on a trash can and uses a kendo stick while Stone has the trash can over his body. Puppet wins the squash match following a stunner out of the fireman’s carry onto a trash can. DUD
After the match, Puppet attacks the referee with the kendo stick. Puppet attacks Jeremy Borash as well. Puppet even attacks the annoying Don West with the kendo stick a few times.
Backstage, Goldylocks is with a injured Ken Shamrock who has ice on his neck. The medics don’t know the status for Shamrock’s match.
Video from last week hyping up Francine and the lingerie battle royal.
Fifth Contest: Francine defeated Taylor Vaughn via disqualification: Francine attacks Vaughn before the bell with a belt and chokes Vaughn out. Vaughn returns the favor by doing the same to Francine moments later. Vaughn whips the referee and is disqualified for doing so. DUD
After the match, Ed Ferrera enters the ring again and helps Francine up. Ferrera raises her hand and Francine places Ferrera’s hand on her breast and whips Ferrera again.
Jeremy Borash introduces Hermie Sadler. Sadler has his pit crew with him, which is three overweight fellows. K-Krush comes out again and wants Sadler to shut up about NASCAR. Krush challenges Sadler to hit him or anything. Krush shoves Sadler and Sadler spears Krush down. Security and Sadler’s pit crew breaks up the brief brawl. Krush challenges Sadler to match next week. Sadler accepts.
Sixth Contest: © Ken Shamrock defeated Malice to retain the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Malice works on Shamrock’s neck in the early moments of the contest. Malice continues to control Shamrock on the floor with a dragon sleeper. Shamrock manages to lock in the ankle lock but Malice reaches the ropes fairly easily. Shamrock with a snap suplex and a quick belly to belly suplex for the win. **
After the match, Shamrock celebrates the win walking up the ramp.
Seventh Contest: © AJ Styles defeated David Young to retain NWA-TNA X Division Championship: Styles botches a somersault dive to the floor and hits his lower back on the apron. Young trips Styles up going for a springboard move. Young with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Young with a exploder suplex sending Styles into the corner. Bobcat isn’t paying attention to the match as she is talking on the phone. Young holds his own for quite sometime. Young nearly wins with the spine buster. Styles blocks a hurricanrana and plants Young with a middle rope Styles Clash to pick up the win. **1/4
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Joel Gertner and the Rainbow Express. Gertner says that since none of the other tag teams can compete, the Rainbow Express will be crowned the NWA-TNA World Tag Team Championships. Gertner hits on Goldylocks and kisses her to end the segment.
Eighth Contest: Jerry Lynn/AJ Styles defeated Rainbow Express w/Joel Gertner to win the NWA-TNA World Tag Team Championships: Lynn’s mystery partner is AJ Styles who just wrestled a pretty good match against David Young. Styles with a nice spinning corkscrew dive onto both Express members. Lynn rams Bruce head first into Lane’s groin several times. Lane locks Lynn in the Tiger Tamer but Styles breaks it up. Styles gets the hot tag and cleans house. Lynn nails Lane with the cradle pile driver and falls to the floor with Bruce. Styles with the Spiral Tap to pick up the win and titles. **1/2
After the match, fireworks go off as AJ Styles celebrates the win. Styles embraces Lynn for the win and Lynn celebrates the win as well, after looking kind of upset not getting the pin.
Backstage, we find Jim Miller tied up backstage with “FU” written on his stomach.
Video from last week promoting Krush/Jarrett taking on Lawler/Hall.
Main Event: K-Krush/Jeff Jarrett defeated Brian Christopher /Scott Hall: All four men brawl through the crowd to start the match. Hall and Jarrett even brawl inside a dancers cage. Midway through the contest, Jarrett sends Hall into Christopher who falls off the apron onto the guard railing. Jarrett and Krush work on Hall for a few moments. Christopher is screaming for a “tag”. Hall has a chance to make the tag, but Christopher is out of position. Hall with a double clothesline and goes for the tag, but Christopher moves his hand and nails Hall with a right hand. The referee gets knocked down as Hall nails all three men down. Jarrett with the Stroke and Christopher nails Hall with the Hip Hop Drop to allow Jarrett to pick up the win. *1/2
After the match, Jeff Jarrett rips on Scott Hall and tells Hall that he will run Hall right of the NWA just as he had done in WCW and WWF. Jarrett nails Hall with the trophy that Jim Miller gave Mike Tenay. Hall is getting placed on a stretcher as Jarrett continues his attack on Hall.
My Take: The opening tag match wasn’t bad, actually. The right tag team went over as I don’t see the Johnsons hanging around long. Brown looked okay for what the match was worth. Buff Bagwell angle should have been played out longer than two weeks. The hardcore match was more of a comedy act in my opinion. The women’s match was pointless really. Sadler facing K-Krush next week is something I’m not looking forward too because odds are Krush will be losing. Shamrock pinning Malice after two moves may have been the wrong move. Makes Malice look weak in my opinion. I’m not sure how David Young was awarded the number one contender ship considering he hadn’t won his one and only match. Jimmy Yang would have made a lot more sense considering he beat Styles in the first week. Solid tag team title match, but TNA is already teasing tension on Lynn’s part with Styles as he looking on while Styles won the match. Although I believe Christopher is a better heel, the events leading up to the heel turn didn’t make sense to me. Why would you have Christopher beat up the guys he is about join up with, just moments before he is going to join them? If you were to eliminate the brawling through the crowd and just have Hall get dominated and then have Christopher turn, it would have worked for me.