NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #26 1/8/2003

Written By: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #26
Date: 1/8/2003
From: Nashville, Tennessee

A video from November 20th, 2002 is shown where Vince Russo helped Jeff Jarrett win the NWA World Championship. The video mainly hypes up the interactions between Vince Russo and Jeff Jarrett. The video also highlights BG James heel turn. Well, the video continues with AJ Styles telling Bob Armstrong he deserves to be a World Champion and his attack on Jarrett. Basically, the video highlights everything that S.E.X. has done in the past several weeks. Six minute opening video to get caught up.

Mike Tenay is standing in the ring with Jerry Lynn, Ron Killings Chris Harris and James Storm. Tenay’s focus is on Vince Russo and his group. Tenay introduces some people at ringside who are past, present and s I future. Security guys are considered the future, Rick Santo and Chris Vaughn. Tenay introduces the present in the guys I mentioned first. Tenay wants the progression of TNA to continue. Tenay cuts a promo about a production meeting where Vince Russo told he and Bobby Heenan that he could make anyone a wrestler. Tenay says that Russo has a lack of respect for this business. Tenay puts down the material that Russo put on WCW television. Tenay wants the fans to contact them and share their thoughts on the product compared to Vince Russo’s product. Tenay says they need to get rid Vince Russo from the wrestling business. Vince Russo has some new music as he makes his way through the crowd. Russo actually falls off the apron as he tries to leap over it. Russo has all of the guys involved in S.E.X with him. Russo enters the ring, alone. Tenay refuses to give Russo the microphone. Russo just gets his own microphone. Russo says that he has friends in management. Tenay tells Russo that everyone is ready to fight Russo and S.E.X. Russo threatens he could beat up Mike Tenay but he will remain calm. Russo believes the business is at a all time low, because people like Tenay run their mouth. Russo mentions that when he was in charge buy-rates and rating were through the roof. Russo also says that the fans didn’t come out here until Russo showed up Russo believes that Jeff Jarrett is in the back regretting his mistake. Russo asks Jerry Lynn what he will do when their isn’t a wrestling business in a year. Russo gives TNA six months before they are out of business. Russo insults both James Storm and Chris Harris before turning his attention to Ron Killings. Russo mocks Killings rapping ability/career choice. Tenay tells Russo they aren’t drinking his Kool-Aid. Russo insults the legends of NWA and Tenay defends them by saying they are the reason Russo is here today. Russo specifically rips on Sara Lee which causes her to come into the ring and gets in Russo’s face and flips him off. Eventually, a big brawl starts out with the baby faces getting their asses kicked. That is until Jeff Jarrett and the Road Warriors storm the ring clearing house.

Backstage, SEX take over the TNA girls locker room making it their own locker room, officially.

Opening Contest: David Young/Tony Mamaluke defeated EZ Money/Kid Kash: Mamaluke and Young got to work on their opponents before the bell. Kash and Mamaluke start the match, legally. Kash takes Young out with a hurricanrana on the floor while Money clotheslines Mamaluke in the ring. Double team backdrop on Mamaluke. Double team gut buster and double dropkick on Mamaluke as well. Money works on Mamaluke with right hands and a step over heel kick for a near fall. Money continues with a leaping rolling neck breaker on Mamaluke for a near fall. Kash with a jumping DDT on Mamaluke for a two count. Young tags in and takes Kash down with a swinging side slam with Kash landing on his midsection. Young with a big spear coming out of the corner on Kash. Mamaluke with a uppercut in the corner but runs into a boot from Kash who leaps off the top with a somersault dive getting a near fall. Kash with head butts and chops on Mamaluke. Mamaluke with a clothesline to stop Kash’s momentum. Young with a backbreaker on Kash and locks in a bear hug. Kash tags in Money, but the referee was distracted. Kash makes a second tag and Money cleans house with clotheslines. Money with a standing moonsault on both men for a two count. All four men brawl in the ring. Mamaluke and Kash miss top rope attacks. Money super kicks Young and goes up top connecting with the frog splash but only gets a two count. Kash with a springboard hurricanrana and a tornado DDT on Young only gets a two count. Young with a sit down power bomb on Kash but Money breaks up the count. Mamaluke with a back suplex driving Kash down. Young with a botched spine buster on Money, so they did it again and Young picked up the win. **¼
After the match, Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper and Low Ki attacked all four men. Skipper has a microphone and says that TNA didn’t know what to do with them. Skipper claims that TNA didn’t want pay them or fly them out here. Skipper says “the best part about S.E.X is Triple X”. Apparently, that is their new name. Jeff Jarrett enters the ring and takes out all three men with right hands. Jarrett says this is his house and not S.E.X. Jarrett challenges them to three different singles matches. Triple X quickly accept to the match. Jarrett wants them to bring out Vince Russo once he beats all three men so he can kick his ass.

Backstage, Goldylocks is with Bob Armstrong and his troops. Armstrong isn’t stupid enough to think he can win the war by himself. Jerry Lynn is not happy and tells Armstrong that he is making a stand. Ron Killings chimes and says that TNA is his asylum. Armstrong is on the phone and is telling someone he needs them right now. Armstrong doesn’t tell Goldylocks who he was talking to.

Second Contest: Sonny Siaki defeated Jason Cross to retain the NWA-TNA X-Division Championship: Siaki throws Cross down to the mat to start the match. Both men with headlocks and head scissors in the opening moments of the contest. Cross with a school boy for a near fall. Cross with several more near falls as he tries several more pin attempts. Cross wants to shake hands but Siaki refuses that and nails Cross with a right hand. Cross takes Siaki down with a hurricanrana and a spinning heel kick for a two count. Cross dropkicks Siaki off the apron to the floor and Cross leaps off the top taking Siaki out with a twisting senton splash! Desire holds Cross foot as he attempts a slingshot. Cross kicks her off but suffers a low blow from Siaki. Siaki drops Cross chest first across the top rope and gets a two count. Siaki with several chops in the corner, but Cross comes back with a few of his own. Siaki with a overhead belly to belly suplex sending Cross into the corner hard and Siaki gets a two count. Cross with a roll up but Siaki kicks out. Cross with a jumping back kick and Siaki is sent to the floor. Cross with a slingshot senton splash on the floor. Desire takes Cross out with a running clothesline on the outside. Siaki twists Cross head first into the ring steps before sending him back into the ring where Siaki gets a near fall. Cross plants Siaki with a DDT and both men are down in the ring. Cross with several right hands and drives Siaki down with a wheelbarrow bulldog and gets a two count. Siaki with a nice pump handle into a sit down tombstone but Cross kicks out. Siaki goes for his finisher but Cross shoves him and Siaki takes out the referee. Cross with a brain buster on Siaki and goes for the Crossfire. Cross leaps off the top and hit’s the move but the referee isn’t up. Desire crotches Cross into the ring post and Siaki covers Cross to pick up the win. **¼
Wait, a second, Bob Armstrong makes his way out and says this isn’t going to happen. Armstrong restarts the match. Well, Vince Russo comes in and tells Bob that the match will not be restarted. Russo tells Bob that the fans came here to see S.E.X. Russo says that Cross is unable to continue, so he has S.E.X beat him up and send Cross over the top hard to the floor. Russo tells Bob that he is going to have BG James to beat up his father! Before BG can do anything they are attacked by Jerry Lynn. Apparently we have a tag match going on.

Third Contest: Jerry Lynn/Ron Killings defeated Don Harris/BG James via disqualification: Lynn takes BG out with a leg drop and a cross body on the floor. Don catches Killings and sends him into the guard railing. BG has a chair and misses a chair shot. Lynn dropkicks the chair into the face of BG. Don and Killings have brawled into the crowd throwing chairs at each other. BG and Lynn are trading right hands in the ring. BG with a series of jabs but misses a right hand. Lynn with a cross body off the middle rope for a two count. BG nails Lynn with a right hand and misses a knee drop. Lynn drives James down with a springboard bulldog and a leg drop for a two count. James with a series of right hands on Lynn after Don got involved. Don with a big boot on Lynn to control the contest for his team. Don works on Lynn with several shoulder rams in the corner but is rolled up by Lynn moments later for a one count. Lynn runs into a big boot that stops his momentum. James enters and delivers a double team back elbow on Lynn and gets a near fall. Lynn with a double DDT on James and Don as he battles to his corner. Lynn manages to tag in Killings who delivers several right hands on both James and Don. Killings with a leg lariat on Don and a scissors kick on James. Killings with a sit out front suplex on James and goes to the top rope. Killings leaps off hitting the 450 splash. MIKE SANDERS slides into the ring and attacks Killings causing the DQ. *½
After the match, Sanders continues to work on Killings and Lynn. Security runs down to stop the beating by S.E.X. Vince Russo is seen with a smirk on his face nodding as his troops go to the back with him. Sanders embraces Russo and has joined S.E.X.

Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with Percy Pringle. Pringle says that he was a wrestling fan when he was growing up and mentions some of the people he went to go see as a child. Tenay brings up Pringle’s FCW run and eventually a run in Texas. Pringle worked with Rick Rude and said their was a nig connection with him. Tenay mentions Pringle’s run with the WWF and asks for the memories. Pringle says that most of it was good. Pringle says things were really different their with all the scripts and whatnot. Pringle says that he was in the WWF working as a road agent and helped develop young talent. Tenay asks Pringle where he stands on Sports Entertainment and Wrestling. Pringle says that he doesn’t know where he stands on the whole debate. Pringle says there is no telling what he is going to do. Pringle says there is no telling what he will do in regards to managing in TNA. Pringle makes sure to be clear that he is NOT with TNA all the way. At least not yet.

Fourth Contest: America’s Most Wanted defeated The New Church to win the NWA-TNA World Tag Team Championships: Tenay and West mention that this is “the final showdown” between these two teams. AMW attack New Church before the bell and they brawl n the floor, just like all of their matches. Storm is dropped across the guard railing and Harris is sent into the ring steps. Slash rams Storm into the tag team titles on the announcers table. Storm sends Slash into the guard railing while Lee chokes Harris. Slash suplexs Storm on the concrete floor and delivers several right hands. Lee drops a knee to the groin of Harris. Slash with a sit down scoop slam on Storm as they battled on the entrance ramp. Slash and Storm are in the ring and Slash drives Storm down to the mat with a spinning slam for a near fall. Lee with a big boot on Storm to maintain control. Lee works on Storm with several right hands in the corner and Slash works on Storm behind the referees back. Slash with a running shoulder ram to the gut of Storm and works on the knee of Storm. Slash with a chop on Storm and bites him in the corner. Slash stops a brief momentum run by Storm with a DDT for a near fall. Lee enters and connects with a series of running elbow drops. Double clothesline on Storm behind the referees back and Slash gets a two count. Storm battles his way to his corner but Slash prevents Storm from making a tag. Storm with a kick to the head of Slash and tags in Harris, but the referee didn’t see the tag. Storm is sent to the floor and Lee nails Storm with a tag team belt and Slash gets a two count back in the ring. Slash with a series of head butts on Storm in the corner. Lee slows the match down with a chin lock by his corner. Storm with a double DDT (same as Lynn last match) and makes his way to his corner tagging in Harris who cleans house with left hands and clotheslines. Harris with a leaping clothesline on Lee and sends Lee to the floor. Slash with a reverse neck breaker on Harris but Storm nails Slash with a super kick which gets a two count! Slash has powder on the apron and throws the powder in the eyes of Lee. Harris with a spear but Lee kicks out at two! Storm places Slash in the sharpshooter but the referee is distracted. James Mitchell hits Storm with the spike but Storm kicks out at two, again! Slash begins to whip Storm with his belt until Harris enters and whips Slash several times. Lee hits Harris with something around his fist but Harris kicks out as well. Storm with a head scissors on Slash but Lee plants Storm with a tombstone for a near fall. Harris gets out of a tombstone attempt on Lee and drives Lee down with one of his own but Lee kicks out! Slash gets a chair and bridges it in the corner. Slash catapults Storm into the chair in the corner and covers Storm but Storm manages to kick out one more time. Slash grabs the chair but is kicked by Storm. Storm with a jaw breaker and sets Slash up for the Death Sentence and they hit it on the steel chair! Storm covers Slash and picks up the win and titles! ***
After the match, AMW celebrate their win.

Backstage, Goldylocks wants Bob Armstrong to tell her who he was on the phone with. Armstrong refuses as he is “busy”.

Before the next match, Curt Hennig has a microphone. Hennig says he has heard a lot of whining and crying lately and he is sick of it. Hennig has a saying and it goes like this “pay your dues, 147 million dollar. Being the number one wrestler in the world, another 41 million dollars. Taking down Brock Lesnar, priceless.” Hennig says that David Flair will make history and face him tonight. Hennig believes that Flair doesn’t have what it takes. Flair tries to attack Hennig from behind but that didn’t work.

Fifth Contest: Curt Hennig defeated David Flair in a axe handle on a pole match: Hennig with several chops in and outside the ring. Hennig and Flair trade chops on the floor. Hennig sends Flair head first into the guard railing and goes for the axe handle on the pole but chops Flair off the apron. Flair low blows Hennig as he goes for the axe handle and is met with chops and a rolling neck breaker by Flair. Flair with a flapjack and continues to stomp on Hennig. Flair goes for the axe handle but is stopped by Hennig who takes Flair down with a electric chair slam. Hennig tells Chris Vaughn to get the ace handle and Vaughn grabs it from Vaughn. Hennig knocks Vaughn off the apron and Hennig simply hits flair to win the match. DUD
After the match, Flair beats Hennig down with something inside a bag. Flair with several right hands. Flair also chokes Hennig for several moments. Several referees run down and stop the beating.

Backstage, Goldylocks talks to David Flair, but Flair blows her off. Flair enters his locker room. Goldylocks goes to send it back to the guys but is attacked by Desire who is then attacked by Athena.

Main Event: NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Triple X in a gauntlet match:
First Match: Jeff Jarrett defeated Christopher Daniels: Daniels tried to attack Jarrett before the bell but was met with a series of right hands. Jarrett catapults Daniels over the top to the floor and plays to the crowd. Daniels with a knee to the midsection and delivers several head butts. Daniels takes Jarrett down with a spinning heel kick and taunts the fans. Daniels sends Jarrett into the corner and delivers several boots but Jarrett comes back with a few of his own. Daniels counters a vertical suplex with a reverse neck breaker and works on Jarrett with head butts and right hands. Jarrett with a clothesline and trips Daniels down to the mat locking in the figure four. Daniels quickly rolls over and Jarrett reaches the ropes. Daniels works on Jarrett with a few blows to the back. They trade right hands until Daniels connects with a jawbreaker and a kick to the side of Jarrett’s head which gets Daniels a near fall. Daniels drops a knee and a rolling neck snap for a near fall as well. Daniels with a scoop slam and a slingshot leg drop for another two count. Jarrett gets a second wind as Daniels rams Jarrett head first into the top turnbuckle. Jarrett with right hands but Daniels drives Jarrett down with a leg sweep slam. Daniels misses the BME but lands on his feet. Jarrett drives Daniels down with the Stroke seconds later to win the match. **

Second Match: Jeff Jarrett defeated Elix Skipper: Skipper quickly enters the ring and takes Jarrett down with a back suplex. Skipper with a handstand leg drop out of the corner for a two count. Skipper works on Jarrett in the corner. Skipper trips Jarrett down and connects with a slingshot twisting splash from the apron back into the ring. Skipper sends Jarrett to the floor. Skipper botches a somersault dive to the floor. Skipper sends Jarrett into the crowd and they brawl in the crowd for a few moments. Skipper nails Jarrett with a standing kick to the face. Skipper sends Jarrett face first into some chairs as well. BG James has been on commentary for the second match, I should add. They get back into the ring where Skipper has Jarrett in a headlock in the middle of the ring. Jarrett’s arm drops twice but gets it up before the third drop. Jarrett with several elbow shots and works on Skipper in the corner. Skipper takes Jarrett down with a release German suplex. Daniels leaps off the top and hits Skipper with a top rope clothesline. Jarrett pins Skipper. *½

Third Contest: Jeff Jarrett defeated Low Ki via DQ: Ki quickly slides into the ring and works on Jarrett with several face washes in the corner. Jarrett and Ki trade right hands with Jarrett getting the better. Ki avoids the Stroke by nailing Jarrett with a kick. Ki with a twisting elbow drop but Jarrett kicks out. Ki with a head scissors submission and turns into a cover but Jarrett again kicks out. Ki works on Jarrett with chops and right hands in the corner. Ki with a sleeper hold in the middle of the ring while taunting the fans. Ki uses the ropes for leverage as well. Jarrett with several elbows and backdrops Ki to the apron. Jarrett avoids the hanging dragon and punches Ki to the floor. Jarrett drops Ki across the guard railing and sends Ki into the guard railing back first. Jarrett drives Ki head first into the announcers table right in front of BG James. Jarrett hits Ki with a chair right in front of the referee. Ki with a low blow with the chair and hits Jarrett across the back with the chair. Ki locks in the dragon clutch in the ring and Jarrett is trying to hang on. Jarrett tries to reach the ropes but is unable to. Several referees are trying to get Daniels and Skipper away from ringside. Jarrett manages to reach the bottom rope with his feet. Ki wit several shots and a running yakuza kick. Jarrett with a back heel trip and goes for the figure four but Ki kicks Jarrett’s knee. Jarrett with a kick to Ki’s head and works on Ki with right hands. Jarrett with a backdrop and knocks Daniels and Skipper off the apron. Ki with a dropkick to the knee of Jarrett. Ki with several kicks to the chest of Jarrett. Jarrett avoids a kick and low blows Ki. Jarrett drives Ki down with the Stroke and covers Ki but the cover is broken up by Daniels and Skipper. **½
After the match, Jarrett is beaten down by Triple X. Road Warriors storm the ring and work on Triple X. Hawk with a double clothesline on Skipper and Ki sending them to the floor. Road Warriors with the Doomsday Device on Daniels. AJ Styles springs off the top rope and dropkicks Animal and knocks Hawk down with a spinning heel kick. Styles nails Jarrett with a kick and S.E.X. work on Jarrett and the Road Warriors. Vince Russo appears as all of S.E.X work on NWA talent. Styles connects with the Spiral Tap on Jarrett. Russo raises Styles hands and claps for him. Styles leaves the ring and leaves through the crowd. BG James with some of the worst boots ever to Jarrett, I should note. S.E.X grab a table and set it up placing Jarrett on top of it. They tease Triple X leaping off the top but DUSTY RHODES slowly comes down and knocks Sonny Siaki and BG James down as the show comes to an end.

End of show

My Take: The opening segment was nicely done to really give a war atmosphere between the NWA and S.E.X. Tenay is doing a real nice job of being a leader of NWA, in my opinion. I also like that AMW were apart of the people in the ring with Tenay. Having two of the future wrestlers involved in TNA’s first real big angle is going to help them grow on the fans. Lynn and Killings are good choices as well.

Opening contest was decent for what it was. Those two tag teams were just odd pairings to get them on the show, I would think. The botched finish kind of hurt the match for me but it wasn’t like the match was all that great before the botch, anyway. By the way, TNA should really avoid putting a microphone in front of Elix Skipper. He just doesn’t sound threatening.

Who could Bob Armstrong be talking to on the phone? Could it be yet another Armstrong brother in Brad Armstrong?! Who knows, but if they are doing a surprise debut it better not be a lower mid-card stiff from the WWE.

Siaki/Cross was a decent match, but again just like the opening match their was nothing special about it. I really don’t see why Siaki couldn’t have gone over clean here. Cross has been on a roll as of late, but I think it was to be expected for him to lose to Siaki. You don’t always need to protect the baby face.

The next tag match was really just a brawl and kept rather short. Mike Sanders debuting in TNA is both good and bad. The good being that Mike Sanders is a good talker. The bad being that he isn’t the greatest wrestler, and I think saying he is a “okay” wrestler would be stretching the truth. If you keep Sanders as a mouthpiece for the stable, then he will be a good asset to the group.

AMW/New Church match looked like it was going to be just another wild brawl, and while it mainly was it was still a entertaining match. If you like a lot of false finishes and all that jazz then this would be a match you enjoy. New Church had a very unsuccessful title reign and it was a good decision to get the belts back on AMW.

The only good thing out of the Hennig/Flair match was that David Flair actually has wrestling tights. The match just sucked overall.

Glad to see Triple X win the match, but not happy to see all three of them lose. I could understand Daniels losing, and hell I could understand Skipper losing. But, to have the third guy lose is a head scratching decision. S.E.X. is being built up as dominating group AFTER the matches instead of DURING the matches. I really think that Low Ki should have gotten a cheap win here just give the group some momentum.

Dusty Rhodes in TNA? That must have been who Bob Armstrong was talking to on the phone. Rhodes doesn’t offer anything to the company so I don’t like it. TNA will draw some new fans because of the name of Dusty Rhodes, but that will not last. Looks like Jarrett/Rhodes/Lynn/Killings/AMW/Road Warriors are leading the charge against SEX (Russo/Harris Brothers/Siaki/Triple X/Sanders/James).

Thanks for reading.