Written By: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents: Weekly PPV #1
Date: 6/19/2002
From: Huntsville, AL
The show starts off with several legends who once competed in the NWA. The legends include Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat and Jackie Fargo to name a few. Steamboat has the NWA belt in hand and puts over how important the belt is to the world of wrestling. After a few moments, Jeff Jarrett makes his way out and rips on everything involved with the NWA. Jarrett doesn’t like the fact that he has to win the championship in a battle royal. Jarrett calls what is going on to be a joke. Fargo gets involved and tells Jarrett “to kiss my ass”. Fargo decides to put Jarrett as the first entrant in the battle royal. Jarrett promises to win the strap tonight. Ken Shamrock makes his way out and agrees with Jarrett about the battle royal situation. Shamrock says that he will be winning gold. To continue the segment, Scott Hall makes his way through the crowd just like he did in May 1996. Once again, Hall agrees with both Jarrett and Shamrock about the battle royal being a bad idea. Hall basically says he will walk out with the gold, as well.
Backstage, Goldylocks is interviewing Puppet the Psycho Dwarf. Puppet insults two other midget wrestlers Teo and Hollywood. Psycho just puts him over and biggest and baddest midget in TNA. Jeff Jarrett is seen at the end kicking various objects in the background.
Opening Contest: Flying Elvises (Jimmy Yang/Jorge Estrada/Sonny Siaki) defeated AJ Styles/Low KI/Jerry Lynn: A pretty good first match here to start off TNA’s first telecast. All six men get time to showcase what they have to offer to the promotion. The action is fast and for the most part fairly entertaining. The ending saw Lynn deliver the cradle pile driver to Estrada, Siaki plant Lynn with a roll of the dice type move, leaping kick by Styles nailing Siaki, KI accidentally hitting Styles with a handspring kick in the corner. Yang nails Styles with Yang Time to pick up the impressive win. ***1/2
Second Contest: Teo defeated Hollywood: This is a “midget match”, that’s what it is promoted as. Teo has quite a few impressive moves for being a dwarf wrestler. Hollywood with a sit down scoop slam for a near fall. Hollywood nearly wins with a top rope body splash. Teo with a swanton bomb off the top for the win. DUD
Ed Ferrera and Don West are standing in the ring and they are promoting “next weeks” lingerie battle royal. They introduce all the ladies which include Francine, Daffeny, Alexis Laree (Mickie James), and Electra to name a few. Francine grabs the microphone and insults Don West calling him “pudgy”. Francine says that none of the women in the ring compare to her. Electra steps up and says that Francine isn’t the Queen of Extreme. Electra says that Francine bankrupted ECW (without mentioning ECW but as “another company”). Francine and Electra have a mini cat fight. Francine promises to win the battle royal next week. Francine will become the first ever “Miss TNA”.
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Mortimer Plumtree. Plumtree says that he has brought is former bullies into TNA to handle his business. Plumtree apparently has complete control over his former bullies. They must do whatever he wants at all times. He says their names are “The Johnsons”.
Third Contest: The Johnsons defeated James Storm/Psicosis: The Johnsons are better known as the Shane Twins. I should also note that they are dressed up as condoms which considering the name, makes sense. Storm’s gimmick closely resembles the Smoking Gunns gimmick in the mid 1990’s. Storm and Psicosis work fairly well as a team early on. Alicia, or Symphony as she was known in WCW, comes down to ringside. However, it is quickly noticeable that she is rather scouting the referee, Slick Johnson. Storm is pinned following a fireman’s carry into a diamond cutter. *
After the match, Alicia stops Slick Johnson and after a moment, Slick gives Alicia some money.
Backstage, Goldylocks is with the Dupp Brothers. Bill Behrens tells the Dupps their isn’t any beer drinking in the locker room. The Dupps are goofy rednecks who are both sleeping around with their girlfriend and cousin, Fluff Dupp.
Jeremy Borash introduces Sterling Marlin and Hermie Sadler two of the top NASCAR drivers. They are out promoting their next race on Sunday in California. Marlin is the current points leader in the series. K-Krush makes his way out and says he is sick and tired of hearing about race car driving. Krush says they aren’t athletes. Krush insults both men until Hermie Sadler gets in Krush’s face. Krush grabs Sadler by the shirt, but is attacked from behind by Brian Christopher. Sadler and Marlin throw Krush over the top to the floor. Christopher nearly swears but covers it by saying “mofo”. Christopher challenges Krush to a match next week. Krush accepts the challenge.
Backstage, Jarrett has Jackie Fargo by the throat and is telling him he will be the next champion.
Fourth Contest: The Dupp Brothers (Stan/Bo) defeated Joey Matthews/Christian York: Stan Dupp is Trevor Murdoch. Matthews and York hold their own early on but the Bo enters and uses his size and power to control both men. Stan loses the momentum after a neck breaker by Matthews. York goes for a moonsault late in the match but takes way to long and Fluff Dupp crotches him. Bo rolls York up and has a handful of tights for the win. DUD
Music video of Toby Keith’s song “How Do You Like Me Now” is shown.
Jeremy Borash introduces Toby Keith who will be singing that same song live for the audience. After about two minutes of the song, Jeff Jarrett shoves Keith to the side and it appears that the battle royal is coming up next. Jarrett says no one wants to hear Keith sing.
Fifth Contest: 20 man battle royal
The last two men in the battle will compete right after the contest to crown the first NWA-TNA champion.
Order of Entry: (Jeff Jarrett, Buff Bagwell, Lash LeRoux, Norman Smiley, Apolo, K-Krush, Slash, Scott Steiner impersonator, Justice, Konnan, Bruce, Rick Steiner, Malice (The Wall), Scott Hall, Chris Harris, Vampire Warrior (Gangrel), Tempest (Crowbar), Ken Shamrock , Steve Corino, and Brian Christopher
Joel Gertner debuts following Konnan’s introduction as the mouthpiece of the Rainbow Express (Lenny Lane and Bruce aka Alan Funk).
Order of Elimination: (Buff Bagwell, Lash LeRoux, Norman Smiley, Slash, Justice, Bruce, K-Krush, Scott Steiner impersonator, Konnan, Rick Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, Tempest, Vampire Warrior, Chris Harris, Steve Corino, Brian Christopher, Apolo and Scott Hall)
Main Event: Ken Shamrock defeated Malice to win the vacant NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Ricky Steamboat is the referee for the contest. Throughout the contest, Shamrock works on Malice’s right arm with a arm bar submission. Shamrock nearly wins with the ankle lock submission but Malice reaches the ropes. Malice goes for the choke slam but Shamrock reverses connecting with a belly to belly suplex to pick up the win and the title! **
After the match, Ken Shamrock celebrates with Bill Behrens, Bob Armstrong and other legends around ringside as fireworks go off for the celebration. Jeff Jarrett comes out again and continues to complain over the decision of a battle royal. Jarrett attacks Bob Armstrong and other legends and other legends. Jackie Fargo and Toby Keith make their way down to the ring with security right behind them. Fargo tells Jarrett that next week, Jarrett will be facing Scott Hall. Hall runs down to the ring and brawls with Jarrett as the show comes to an end.
My Take: The opening segment dragged on a little too long and the interactions between Shamrock, Jarrett and Hall was very lackluster considering they agreed that the idea of a battle royal, sucked. The first contest in TNA’s history was quite good. Sonny Siaki has the look of The Rock in my opinion. The midget match was nothing special really, though Teo does have a few impressive moves. Electra claiming Francine bankrupted ECW is just a stupid comment to make. Speaking of stupid, the gimmick the Johnsons have is just ridiculous on many levels. I do like the part that Mortimer has brought his former bullies into the company, but why have them dressed up as basically condoms? They can’t really be seen as a forceful team when that is the first thing to cross your mind. James Storm looked pretty good in the ring. The whole NASCAR segment was quick and painless. The Dupps appear to be a semi funny comedy act. Battle Royal wasn’t anything special. Though, the guy who came out looking like Scott Steiner fooled the crowd for a few moments until he entered the ring. Shamrock/Malice was the last thing I was expecting and the match itself was fairly quick. Good choice to have Shamrock as the first champion, though.